Everything That's Old is New Again
by caregirl71
Summary: What happens when one of Belle's descendants unknowingly returns to Molyneaux? Will history repeat itself or will different events unfold? This is the tale of Rosie and her year in 'that small provincial town'. Chapter Fifteen is finally up!
1. One Letter, Two Responses

_**A/N **- This story is the continuation of "Full Circle",my story of the BATB characters' descendants, but surprise(there's a twist!)...it's the prequel. Upon rereading "Full Circle", an intriguing idea came to me and I wanted to tell the tale of Rosie and her exploits in Molyneaux during her yearlong stay there._

_**Disclaimer **- Disney owns the rights to BATB and its characters. Their descendants however are loosely based on the BATB folk._

**One Letter, Two Responses**

"…_Now on to the reason I've written you. I have great news. It seems we will be able to meet in person after all! I've been offered a chance to teach in Molyneaux, France, your village, of all places, and have decided to accept. I can't wait to see you in about a month. Affectionately yours, Rosie."_

Louis LeFiable stared panicked at the last section in the letter in his hand. The phrase "_I can't wait to see you in about a month" _kept running through his mind as he wondered how he might prevent the future meeting between himself and his pen pal. Normally he would have welcomed anyone who offered or extended a friendly gesture towards him, as he was not very popular, but this was different.

Unfortunately he had embellished every thing about him to Rosie, especially his looks. He hadn't meant for it to go this far, but he thought that Rosie, if she knew the real him, would reject him. So he had created an alter ego, much similar that of Beau. Here he had been free to express himself where no one would laugh at him. He had amazed even himself and learned that Rosie was a great pen pal. He sensed that she would not be judgmental. Still he couldn't take the chance and ruin it for both of them, despite the consequences.

Luckily that had not come back to haunt him yet, but he was always leery especially around Beau. At the sudden thought of Beau, Louis shuddered. He was playing such a dangerous game with the wrong man. Beau was not the type of guy you wanted to cross. Louis had learned that the hard way and learned it well. Yet he wondered what _was_ driving him to do this very thing?

Beau Laroche was the local town hero and most popular man. Every young man wanted to be him and every young woman wanted to be with him, to become his wife. Standing six foot four, he was blessed with a very athletic build, all of it muscle. He was also blessed with movie star looks, jet-black hair, eyes that rivaled the color of the deepest blue sapphire, and a square jaw with a cleft chin. One look and one of his famous dazzling smiles was all it took to make any woman swoon. Beau liked to brag that there wasn't a good-looking woman alive who could resist him.

Louis, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Beau. Short, barely five foot six, stocky, and squat, he could only wish to compete with Beau for women. The only similarity they shared was that both had dark hair; however, Louis' was only dark brown. One glance at him and women passed him over for Beau, if he was nearby, he thought bitterly. Once it would be nice for someone to focus on just him, he thought. Perhaps that's why he was carrying on this charade, despite the consequences. He might just find a true friend out of all of this.

Just when he felt good about everything he noticed that Rosie had included a postscript: _"P.S. I have enclosed an picture of myself so that you will be able to recognize me when I arrive."_

At first, Louis didn't panic, but when he took one look at Rosie's picture, all the good feelings that he had a few minutes ago were suddenly replaced by one of impending doom. For he also realized, to his horror, that the letter had been written nearly a month ago, which meant that Rosie would be here sooner than he had previously thought. _Why me!_ he thought, as his head sunk into his hands.

---------------------------------

Half a world away at that very moment, unaware of the turmoil her picture and letter was causing, Rosie Reed was with her closet and dearest friends. It was the second time in as many nights that her friends and family had honored her. Whereas this was a small intimate dinner, last evening's event had been a much larger affair with friends, family, and acquaintances gathered at the McKendricks' residence to wish her well as she was heading overseas to teach for a year in France in the next few days. Rosie had been touched to see how many people had shown up at the event.

All attention was focussed on the current speaker, Ian McKendrick, Rosie's best friend. "Rosie, we wish you all the best!" he told her, lifting his glass to her. "To Rosie!"

"_To Rosie!_" Kat and Brad VanBuren, their friends, echoed him.

"Thank you every one," Rosie told them. "I want to thank you all very much. This is so unexpected and I'm truly touched-"

"Hey, I don't recall any one calling for a speech. Did you, Ian?" Brad, a tall black haired burly man, asked.

Brad had known both Ian and Rosie since their childhood. The people of their hometown liked to joke that Brad was an honorary "McKendrick", because he spent most of his time at the McKendrick household. It was also a running gag that he and Ian had been separated by birth because they almost looked alike. The only way that people could tell them apart was by hair and eye color. While Ian had dark brown hair and azure blue eyes, Brad's were black and dark brown.

The three had been inseparable until their high school days, when Katrina "Kat" Wendell, now VanBuren, entered into the picture. At first Ian and Rosie had feared that their trio would be broken up, but soon they realized that they had nothing to fear. Kat turned out to be a real sweetheart and soon the trio became a quartet. To Rosie's delight, she soon had a friend to do "girl things" with. Though she loved Ian and Brad, there were times she _just_ had to be a "girlie girl". Kat ended up being the perfect friend for this.

Much to Rosie and Ian's amusement, Kat swiftly stole Brad's heart. Rosie knew that Brad never really had a chance against Kat. Though curvy and petite, just five feet two, she was a dynamo with light blonde hair and violet eyes, and quickly charmed those around her. The two became high school sweethearts and were recent newlyweds, having married six months ago, much to the delight of their friends and families.

"Nope! Looks like our Rosie is getting ahead of herself," Ian teased. "Never thought I'd see this day. Does Rosie's head seem bigger to any of you?"

"Hmmm, now that you mention it, it actually does," Brad told him.

"Hey, that's enough, you two!" Kat protested. "You should be proud of her!"

"C'mon, Kat, can't you take a joke? We are really very, very proud of her," Ian told Kat, as he put his arm around Rosie's shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. "See?"

The gesture was not lost on Kat and Brad and they glanced knowingly at each other. Though Ian and Rosie were best friends, they never had dated or even considered it, friends and family always hoped that their relationship would eventually blossom into love.

"Yes, I see. That's much, _much_ better!" Kat told him, nodding her head, seeing that the result was to her satisfaction.

"All right, that's enough, you three," Rosie told them, laughing at this comical scenario. Only Kat, small as she was, could get away with standing up to two grown men, both standing well over six feet tall. "Don't worry, Kat, They were just playing with me and didn't mean any harm."

Seeing that there was no harm done by Brad and Ian's good-natured joshing, Kat dropped the subject. After a momentary pause and a confirming glance at Rosie, who all of sudden seemed fidgety, she said, "All right you can drop the charade, Rosie? What's up?"

Rosie looked at her and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"C'mon, you can tell us. After all we're your closest friends. Something's the matter. Now what is it? Is it nerves?"

After looking around the table at her friends, Rosie nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess I'm starting to get some butterflies in my stomach about this trip now that it's almost here. I just don't know if I can do this. The more I think about it, the more daunting a task it's becoming. What if I get there and no one likes me? I do have to spend a whole year in a different community over there and I'm not sure how the people there will feel about a foreigner, let alone an American, teaching their children. So, yeah, I guess I am just a little anxious right now."

"Anyone not liking you? If they don't, they're crazy. C'mon, Rosie girl, let's not have anymore of this talk. I'm sure that when all of Molyneaux meets you, they'll fall in love with you, just like Brad and I and the neighborhood did when you first moved here. You'll do just fine."

"Oh, so you call pulling my pigtails and throwing mud pies at me love, do you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the way I recollect how one of our first meetings went," Rosie retorted, looking at Brad and Ian skeptically.

"Yeah, well…what did we know back then?"

"Not a whole heck of a lot!" Rosie shot back. "And sometimes you still don't!"

"Okay, okay, now it's my turn to be the peacemaker," Kat said to them, before either Brad or Ian could get in a final shot. "That's enough, you three! I _thought_ this was supposed to be a joyous celebration."

With Kat reminding them why they were there, the quartet spent the rest of the time at the restaurant talking and laughing over dinner and drinks. An hour passed and realizing how late it was, everyone said goodnight reluctantly. They then parted ways with Ian and Rosie going in Ian's truck and Brad and Kat in theirs. Settled in the truck Rosie waved to Kat out the window and then was gone.

As Kat watched the departing headlights, she asked her husband, "I wonder if those two will ever realize that they're meant for each other. Everyone else who knows them can see it, why can't they?"

Brad, ever the practical one, replied, "I don't have the answer to that, sweetheart. If it's meant to be, it will happen, but do me a favor, hon. Don't start planning for those two. They are the best of friends and a romance between them might not work out. We don't want see a friendship like that damaged. Think of the repercussions if that were to happen.

Although Kat wasn't happy about his answer, she knew her husband spoke the truth and didn't argue the fact. Ian and Rosie had a special friendship and if that were ever marred, it would be unfortunate, almost tragic.

"You're right of course, Brad."

"I'm glad someone seems to realize that," he teased her.

She ignored him and continued, "The last thing we want to see is them in is a rebound relationship with each other. Ian's break up with Veronica last year was bad enough, but poor Rosie has really never gotten over her heartbreak with Jean-Claude. That was at least three years ago. I wonder if she'll ever get over him. Brad, what is the matter?"

"Ugh_, DeVincent_! How I hate that name. Kat, do me a favor and never mention _that_ Frog again in my presence or Ian's," Brad spat. Kat looked at him in alarm. "Well, can you blame us? He really did a number on her heart."

Kat nodded her head, knowing how hurt and betrayed Rosie was by the ending of the relationship. She still wasn't able to date seriously, because she was afraid of getting hurt again.

"You're right again."

"Of course, I'm right! He's just lucky he lives over in France, because if Ian or I came across him, he'd never have a chance-"

"Brad!" He glanced at her. Kat just looked at him, and said quietly, "I know you and Ian think you're Rosie's protectors, but there are just somethings that Rosie needs to do on her own. Let her deal with it in her own way, please?"

Brad looked at her, and knew Kat spoke the truth. It was a sober ride home. Kat wished she could help her friend, knowing she had to follow her own words. And yet still, she couldn't help her intuition about those two – something told her that they would end up together, but when and how? _That_ was something she couldn't answer.


	2. Rosie Arrives

**Rosie Arrives**

"She's here!" Bertrand Favre, a burly red bearded man and one of Beau's buddies, made his way into the local tavern and announced.

"Who's here?" Beau asked.

He was sitting in his favorite chair, reserved for him, and was showing off for the LaFemme sisters, who were sitting at his feet. They were completely enraptured with him at that moment. As he sat there flexing for them, knowing he had the admiration of all the men and the adoration of all the women he was thinking, _It's definitely great to be ME!_

"The new school teacher! She arrived in Molyneaux just a bit ago." This time Andre Benoit, a skinny blonde haired man, spoke up. He was another of Beau's cronies.

"Why would I care about that?" Beau replied, suddenly looking annoyed. If any conversation didn't involve him or revolve around him, then he tended to disregard it as unimportant.

"Sorry, Beau, but there are some of us here who have children and who do think this is important," Gerard Auberge, the bartender, told him. He then focussed his attention on the two men who had made the announcement and inquired about whether they had seen or met the new schoolteacher. Andre and Bertrand told him they had not, but had heard about her arrival from other townspeople.

Glowering at him, Beau was just going to reply to this slight when the one of the other patrons interrupted him, "Hey what's up with Louis?" Beau glared at the man, but unfazed he just continued, "He just took off like a shot. I've never seen him move so fast like that in his life!"

Beau looked around the rest of the tavern and didn't see Louis anywhere. Where was he? Normally he would have been right at his side, waiting to do whatever Beau bided him. This struck him as odd,but he shrugged it off. And since Beau didn't seem to care, the others went back to their drinks.

Meanwhile, Louis was hurrying through the village as fast as his legs could go. He had to find Rosie before Beau saw her and she mistook him for Louis. Louis could only image what Beau might do to him if she made that error or, he gulped, on second thought, maybe not. Where could she be?

At that moment Rosie was settling in her host family's, the LePages, spare bedroom, after a long transcontinental flight. It was funny she thought, as she yawned, how just sitting for so long could tire you out. She should be used to this by now, as this was her third trip; however she was just as excited as the first time she had visited France. Perhaps it was the fact that her father had told her recently that their family had some sort of past connection to this particular area. She was looking forward to seeing just what it was, as she had just discovered genealogy and was trying to trace their family tree.

Though she was excited to be here, Rosie was feeling anxious as well. It was true that she had visited France before, and made a lot of friends, but those trips seemed like a lifetime away. This time it was not going to be so easy.

Her first year of teaching, a couple years ago,had been nerve wracking enough, but this situation made that seem like a breeze. Here there was added pressure on her to do well because she was in a completely different country. Plus there was the fact that she was also coming into a small village where no doubt everybody knew everybody. That made her the outsider. Rosie was always up for a challenge, but this situation was completely different. What if no one liked her, be they her students or the townspeople? What would she do then? For a moment, Rosie wished that she had never accepted this job and longed to be home with familar faces surrounding her.

A sudden knock on the door interupted her thoughts."Come in!" Rosie replied.

The door opened and Celeste LePage, a plump but cheerful gray haired woman, stepped in the room. "How's it coming, dear?" she asked.

"I just have to put a few more things away and then I'm done."

"Wonderful! If you're finished, Stephan and I would love to show you around Molyneaux."

"Thank you very much. If I'm the new teacher here, then I should start meetingmy students and their families," Rosie smiled at her host. "Though I must admit, I am a little nervous to meet them."

"Nonsense! There's no reason why you should feel that way. This is a very friendly village and I'm sure that you'll find that in no time you'll become a part of our community."

"You're too kind, Celeste. I appreciate your warm words. There's also another reason why I would like to greet the townspeople. My pen pal is from here and I told him that I was coming in my last letter. Perhaps you know him."

"What's his name, dear?"

"Louis LeFiable."

"Louis LeFiable? Are you sure?" Celeste looked astonished to hear the name.

"Yes, why? Is something the matter?" Rosie asked, concerned.

"No, no. Nothing's wrong," Celeste assured her. "I'm sure we'll run into him when we're walking."

Secretly she was wondering why Louis hadn't mentioned this to anyone. From what she could tell so far that this girl was such a sweetheart, so why had he kept his correspondence with her a secret? Celeste came to the conclusion that Louis must have had his reasons to withhold this information. No doubt, she thought, that Beau was probably the main reason.

A short while, the LePages and Rosie were strolling through the streets of Molyneaux. They were pointing out the different buildings to her and introducing her to the townspeople. After meeting her, people would do a double take, as if they couldn't believe what they saw. Rosie didn't notice this, but the LePages did and knew why. They too had been surprised by Rosie's appearance when they had first met her.

Rosie's fears were soon eased. All who met her were charmed by Rosie and wanted to learn more about her. She was happy to oblige them and talked with them, answering any questions they had. All went away relieved to learn that she would not be an ugly American, especially since she graciously answered their questions in fluent French.

However there were still some parents who were worried about what they perceived as her youthfulness. To them this meant inexperience and they didn't know if she could handle the pressure of teaching in a foreign country. Rosie knew that she would have to work extra hard to convince them that she was more than ready to take on such responsiblity.

As she walked she was pleased to learn that there was a coffee shop, a fashion boutique and especially a bookshop, which Stephan was the proprietor of. Hearing that Rosie loved books, Stephan unlocked the bookstore for her. Celeste jokingly told Rosie that she should consider herself lucky, since Stephan never did that for anyone, even her, his own wife.

Rosie entered the store and saw to her delight, a great array of all types of books. She knew where she would be spending her spare time, that is if she had any, she thought wistfully. As she was contentedly browsing the bookshelves, she came across a portrait that froze her in her tracks. A beautiful young woman, who looked exactly like her, save for the clothes, stared back at her. Rosie could have sworn that she was looking at her identical twin. How was this possible, she wondered.

"She is lovely, no?" Stephan asked.

"Yes," Rosie answered in a hushed tone. "Yes, she is. Who is she?"

"A young woman, or a princess, from long ago. Her name was Princesse Belle Marie LeRoeux DeVincent. She lived in the mid 18th century, here in Molyneaux with her father until she married the prince who ruled this particular province. It's quite a tale. Perhaps you would like to hear it sometime."

Rosie said she would and then fell silent, unable to take her eyes off the painting. The resemblance was remarkable, but she couldn't shake the eerie but curious feeling that it produced in her. Now she knew why the LePages had looked at her so strangely when she met them for the first time. Was this princess, this Belle, a part of her past?

After a few minutes, Stephan asked her, "Might I ask you a question?" Rosie nodded her assent. "What was it about Molyneaux that made you choose this little town, or village really? Molyneaux hasn't really changed in the last two centuries. It's about the same size as when the princess and her father lived here."

Rosie thought for a few seconds, and replied, "The main reason is that my father recently told me that our family was of French descent and that he believed that Molyneaux was where my family originally came from. Another reason is that I just love to travel. This is my third trip to France and I've done a lot of traveling to other European countries. Plus my pen pal, Louis, is from here as well."

"But Reed isn't French," Celeste pointed out.

"My mother's maiden name is DeRosier. That's where my French ancestry comes in."

Stephan started chuckling. Both women looked at him with puzzled expressions. He explained it by saying, "It's ironic that you would choose to come to Molyneaux, when the original Belle wanted to escape from this very same village. She longed for adventure and she certainly found it."

Rosie looked at the painting again and told Stephan, "I look forward to the tale. It sounds like it will be a very interesting one."

"I assure you it most certainly will be. Now is anyone thirsty? The tavern is right down the street and we can introduce you to those who haven't met you yet."

While Rosie said she was, Celeste declined the offer. Rosie and Stephan headed over to the pub, while Celeste headed home to prepare supper.

The other patrons and the bartender met Stephan with a hearty hello, but silence fell when they saw Rosie. She was prepared for this reaction now that she had seen the painting and understood people's reactions. Soft whispering could be heard all around the tavern as the customers tried to process this.

After finding Rosie a table, Stephan made his way to the bar to order drinks. Because she wasn't familar with any one in here, the only thing Rosie could do was give a shy smile to those who looked her way.

A she was doing so, Gerard asked him the question that everybody wanted to know: _who was she?_

After informing Gerard that Rosie was the new schoolteacher, everybody made his or her way over to where Rosie was sitting and welcomed her to Molyneaux. Rosie accepted their wishes with a smile and chatted with them.

After a while, everybody's curiosity had been satisfied, and they went back to their seats. When it had settled down, Rosie looked around at her surroundings. As she was glancing around the room, her gaze was drawn to another large portrait hanging over the fireplace. This one was of a rather handsome looking man. She judged it to be dated from the 18th century, because of the man's clothes, hairstyle, and gun.

Stephan caught her studying it and replied, "Ah, I see you found Gaston's picture. It's the first thing people tend to notice when they come in here."

Rosie told him, "Well, it's hard not to miss it in such a prominent place such as it is over the fireplace. Not to mention that he certainly presents an imposing figure. Who is he?"

"His name is Gaston Laroche and he lived sometime in the mid 18th century, same as Belle. Back then, he was one of, if not the, most important people of Molyneaux. He too is a part of the story I'll tell you –"

"Uh, Stephan?" Andre quickly interrupted him.

"Yes, Andre?"

"You're not going to tell _that_ story here, are you?" he asked nervously.

"Of course not. Telling it takes too long. Besides we've got to go in a few minutes. Celeste will probably have supper ready soon anyway."

When the rest of the folk heard this, they breathed a sigh of relief. That was the last thing they wanted to have Beau hear. Fortunately for them, Beau was not present, being that he had stepped away for the moment. For some unknown reason, he detested the tale. Why? He never had said but had made it clear that that story _was_ not to be told, _especially_ in his presence.

Rosie was curious about their reactions and glanced at Stephan for an explanation. Looking back at her, Stephan just shook his head. Being he was much older, he didn't fear Beau as the younger folks did.

Seeing this Rosie went back to focussing on the picture. Something was bothering her about it. She had never seen this man before, but couldn't shake the feeling she had that there was something very familiar about this Gaston. She couldn't explain it as much as she tried to. She excused herself and told Stephan that she was going to take a closer look at the painting. He nodded and started chatting with the fellows near him.

Rosie was still examining the image when Beau came back into the building, followed by the LaFemme sisters. His fellow patrons nodded to him and Beau started making his way to his chair, when he noticed a woman with her back to him standing near it. He had never seen her before and, after making a few inquiries about her, learned that she was the new schoolteacher.

It came to his attention that she was examining his ancestor's painting. Seeing this, he grinned. This boded well for him. She obviously had good taste if she was looking at the picture. And why not? He couldn't fault her for wanting to look at such a handsome man. He grinned even wider when he thought of how delighted she would be when she turned to see a living incarnate of the man before her.

The triplets had also noticed the newcomer, but had a completely different reaction. Seeing that Beau was focussing his attention on her, they pouted and tried to get his attention, but to no avail. Realizing this, they glared at an unsuspecting Rosie.

After making sure that he was absolutely perfect for presentation, he cleared his throat to get her attention. He couldn't wait to see her expression, but he was not prepared for the shock that met him as Rosie turned around to see who had made the noise.

Meanwhile Louis was still searching the village in vain for Rosie. He had looked every where that he had thought of, but nothing. Every minute that passed, he grew more panicked. _Where could she be?_ he thought miserably.

As he was passing the LePages' house, Celeste came out on her porch. Recognizing Louis, she waved at him. When he saw her, he grew hopeful. Maybe she would know where Rosie was.

"Mme LePage, good evening to you. Can I ask you a question?"

"Why, hello, Louis. Certainly."

"Could you tell me where the new schoolteacher – where Rosie – is? It's urgent that I find her and fast."

"She's at the pub with Stephan…Why Louis, you're pale as a ghost! Is there something the matter?"

Louis gulped. He was so dead! "No, no! I'm fine. Um…Thanks for the info! Bye!"

He ran as fast as he could all the way to the tavern, hoping, praying that he was not too late. Within minutes, he arrived and entered the pub, trying to catch his breath. There to his horror in front of him were both Rosie and Beau facing each other.


	3. Deja vu, Anyone?

**Déjà vu, Anyone?**

A stilled hush hung over the room because all eyes were focussed on the two figures of Rosie and Beau. Both were still stunned after a few minutes, trying to comprehend what each of them was seeing.

When Rosie had turned and faced him, Beau had received the shock of his life. He had assumed that she would be good looking, but he never thought she would be _this_ gorgeous. He had immediately recognized whom she resembled. Beau had only been in the bookshop once and found it pointless and boring, but the portrait of the young woman had left a deep impression on him. And now she was standing here right in front of him!

Rosie, too, had been astonished at the sight she saw when she turned around to address whoever was behind her. The words she was going to say died on her lips after she saw such a handsome man standing behind her. To make sure she wasn't dreaming, she herself did a double take as she glanced at him, then the painting and then back at the stranger.

Louis wondered if he dared go up there. Did Beau know what he had done? He finally got his answer when he heard Andre comment to Bertrand that he had never seen Beau speechless over a woman for this long. Hearing this Louis relaxed somewhat, but he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. Until he introduced himself to Rosie, only then would he be safe. He made a decision to head up there and ask her. He took a deep breath and started walking towards them.

It was at this time that Beau collected himself and regained control of the situation. After all, it would not do to have the townspeople think that he was losing his touch with the ladies. He took another look at the woman in front of him and gave her a once over. He very much liked what he saw and telling by her expression, it was obvious that she was in awe of him. It was only natural, he thought. After all who could resist such a handsome man as himself?

After Beau was finished, his demeanor returned full force and flashing her a great big smile, asked her, "Well, hello there, gorgeous! And who might you be?"

Rosie gazed at the man, not in awe, as he believed, but in puzzlement. Was this her pen pal? Things weren't making sense. If he was, then he should have recognized her from the picture that she sent him. She glanced back at Stephan with a quizzical look, as if to say, _Who is he?_

Seeing Rosie needed assistance, Stephan started to rise in order to introduce her and Beau to one another. It was at this moment that he noticed Louis walking by his table.

"Ah, Louis, there you are! Just the person I was looking for. There's someone who's been waiting to meet you. Come and I'll introduce you to her. Rosie, could you come over here, please?" he called to her.

When Rosie heard the name "Louis", she turned around to see what her pen pal looked like. Finally after a year, she was going to meet him!

However a surprise met her again for the second time. Instead of a tall and muscular man she had been expecting, she saw the exact opposite standing beside Stephan. Rosie didn't know what to think at first and didn't say anything for a few seconds.

When Rosie didn't respond to him, Louis took it as bad sign. It was even worse than he had imagined it would be. Rosie was even more beautiful in person and here he was - a short, squat, pathetic nobody. Plus, to top it off, she was a good two inches taller than him. He was sure she hated him and thought he was a complete fraud. He looked down, waiting for the verbal assault and the rejection to come.

So it was a surprise, when he heard her say to him, in a very amicable voice, "Louis, I'm so happy to finally meet you."

His head jerked up in surprise. She wasn't angry with him at all. Rosie's smiling face met his eyes and all his fears disappeared. He smiled back at her, not believing his luck. Things like this did not happen to him.

For a few moments, Louis was in an euphoric state, until he heard a very loud "ahem!" and was jolted back into reality. When he reluctantly turned and glanced at Beau, Louis cringed. Beau had a very displeased look upon his face. This did not bode well for him.

Beau glared at the little man in front of him. When it came to beautiful women, he was not used to being ignored. So when Rosie turned away from him when she heard Louis' name called, he had considered it an insult. However since she was a newcomer, Beau decided not to take out it on her, but decided he'd have a little chat with Louis later on. For right now, he wanted to give this Rosie a favorable impression of himself.

The tavern had followed up his reaction with a large audible gasp, not believing what they saw. A beautiful woman had turned away from the most handsome man in town and was paying attention to one of its shyest citizens. This was not possible! No one ignored Beau like that.

Every patron was talking in a low voice, the tavern buzzing. Every one had been surprised, no one more so than the LaFemme sisters. They had received the shock of their life when Rosie had turned around to look at Beau. And now this!

They were looking at each other bewildered. Why was the stranger focussed on Louis instead of Beau? It didn't make sense. After a few seconds of collective thought, the only thing that they could come up with was that this Rosie was insane just Belle had been.

"After all," Michèle, the oldest of the three, said, "If she takes after _her_ in appearance, it would stand to reason that she'll take after _her_ in her behavior, even if she _was_ wrong."

"Yes, but if the story holds true, it means…it means we'll have to watch Beau chase after her," Marie, the youngest, whimpered. "And there's nothing we can do about it!"

After she was finished speaking, she burst into tears. Michèle, realizing that she spoke the truth, followed Marie's lead and started weeping uncontrollably.

Rosie stared at Beau, confused. Why was he glaring at Louis like that? As far as she could tell, Louis had done nothing wrong and neither had she. _Or had she?_ She glanced worriedly over at her host, as if to say, _Have I done anything wrong?_

In reply, Stephan shook his head at her as if to say, _No, you haven't_. Seeing this, Rosie relaxed, but was still curious as to why her pen pal was being treated this way.

Stephan saw the need to intervene, and approached Beau, saying, "Beau, don't you think you're being a little unfair to Louis? After all, Rosie is Louis' pen pal, not yours."

Beau scowled at Stephan in reply. Being used to this type of response from Beau, Stephan ignored him, and continued on by saying, "Besides, what kind of welcome is this for the new school teacher? Beau, I would like to introduce you to Rosie Reed, the new schoolteacher." He turned to Rosie, and continued, "Rosie, this is Beau Laroche. He's…"

"Your every fantasy and dream come true," Beau, grinning at Rosie, interrupted Stephan. "It's a _pleasure_ to meet you. Perhaps you would care to join me for dinner, then after that I'll take you on a private tour around Molyneaux and show you some of the local attractions, my personal favorites included."

"It's nice to meet you, Beau. Laroche, you say? Are you related to the gentleman in the painting?" Rosie quickly changed the subject, trying hard not to laugh.

It was very clear to her that this man, handsome as he was, had a very high opinion of himself and thought himself as God's gift to women. She had heard some horrible pick up lines before, but this one clearly took the prize for the worst.

"Why, yes! He is my seven or eight times great grandfather. I'm a direct descendant of his. Doesn't it show? Now about my invitation, what do you say?"'

"Yes, it does. It's very striking resemblance! As for your offer, thank you but I'll have to decline. Perhaps we can do it some other time. You see, Stephan and Celeste were gracious enough to show me around earlier."

Stephan, seeing that this was not the response Beau had wanted to hear, quickly stepped in, saying, "Beau, if you will excuse Rosie and myself, we have to go. Celeste will be expecting us. I suspect she'll have supper on the table already. _Bon nuit_, everyone."

"_Bon nuit_, everybody. _Au revoir_, Louis, Beau," Rosie beguilingly said to them. She smiled and waved and then was gone.

A few seconds into their walk home, Stephan noticed Rosie shaking her head and chuckling. He asked her what she found to be so humorous. After a quick check to make sure that she was out of hearing distance, Rosie replied, "He certainly thinks very highly of himself, doesn't he?"

"I take it you're referring to Beau by that comment. Confidence is one area that Beau is not lacking in and he'll tell you that, too."

"I gathered," Rosie replied, then fell silent. She appeared to ponder something, and then asked, "Stephan?"

"Yes, Rosie?"

"Did Louis ever mention to anyone at all that he had a pen pal, and if not, why not? To be truthful, let's just say I was expecting someone totally different than Louis."

"No, he never did. As for the reason, you'll have to ask Louis that. I can't answer for him, but I expect that one of the main reasons is Beau. You saw the reason why in there. Beau can be charming, but he can be intimidating. You especially need to keep that in mind since Beau has taken notice of you. He can be very persistent when it comes to getting what he wants and doesn't like to hear the word 'no'. Come to think of it, he hasn't heard it very often. "

"Thank you, Stephan, I appreciate your concern, but you don't have to worry. I'm not looking for a long-term romance over here. That's the _last_ thing I want right now especially since I'm on a big losing streak when it comes to men. So you might say I'm on hiatus from dating until Mr. Right comes along."

Stephan nodded, but he was secretly wondering if Rosie would stay true to her convictions, even in the coming days with Beau bound to be pushing and pursuing her. He had seen the way Beau had gazed at Rosie and he knew that Beau would not rest until Rosie was his, whether that be as girlfriend or wife. If Beau had anything to say about it, he would do anything to convince Rosie that he _was_ her Mr. Right.

Meanwhile back in the tavern, Louis was nervously chuckling as he looked up at Beau. The silence was killing him. Beau hadn't spoken a word since Rosie had exited the building. This did not bode well for him, plus with what had happened earlier, that only compounded the situation.

So it came as a great surprise to Louis when Beau ordered a round for him and became chummy with the little man. But Louis realized what Beau wanted from him, when he pulled Louis close, and told him, "That's a nice little secret you've been hiding from me. Since she's such a beauty, I'll forgive you, _but_ you will tell me everything you know about her. Do I make myself perfectly clear, LeFiable?"

As Louis stared at Beau's deceptively calm and smiling face, he gulped because he knew he had no other choice.


	4. The Chase Begins

**The Chase Begins**

The next day, a beautiful Saturday in late August, Rosie walked leisurely through the village streets, humming a tune as she went. She had promised Celeste that she would run some errands for her, since Celeste was busy preparing for the afternoon tea tomorrow. She had invited the town matrons to welcome and meet the new schoolteacher.

Rosie knew the reason why the tea was being held, and she understood why it was important for her to be there, but that didn't make it any easier. She was not exactly thrilled at the prospect of this particular situation. She didn't like occasions like this, especially since she was the focus. This one was worse, because she was a newcomer. One slip up or one wrong word and people would judge her on it for the rest of the year. Rosie only wished that the tea was over and done with, but alas, it was still a day away.

Puting her thoughts aside, she smiled and waved to the people she recognized, and stopped for the people who had not met her yet, but had heard about her. She introduced herself to them and spent more time talking with them. After a certain amount time would go by, she would excuse herself and continue on with her tasks. After meeting more people in such a short time period, Rosie wondered if she would be able to remember all their names. Plus, she realized that she hadn't even met her students yet. There was another twenty plus names she would have to remember. It was a good thing that she had decided to arrive in Molyneaux almost two weeks before the school year started, because it was starting to look like she needed it already.

As she walked through Molyneaux, her tasks completed, save for one, it gave Rosie time to think about the French and American lifestyles. She loved the United States dearly, but Rosie was more at ease with the pace of the French, and European, way of life. They were ones of leisure, where people seemed to take the time to enjoy life unlike the fast paced lifestyle of the American way. Rosie attributed this to her French ancestry and the times she had spent in Europe.

As she was pondering this, three young women about her age suddenly appeared in front of her. Rosie was forced to stop quickly so that she wouldn't run into them. Rosie realized that they were related, because they looked identical to each other. The only difference between them were the different shades of their blonde hair. She wondered what they wanted from her, as they had seemed to come from the little boutique shop. Rosie gave it a quick glance, and promised herself that when she had some spare time, she would go in there.

After they didn't say anything for a few minutes, but just stood there looking at her, Rosie became uneasy. It was obvious they disliked her, but as to the reasonwhy Rosie hadno clue.She finally asked, "May I help you?"

One of them immediately answered, "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from him. _He's ours!_"

Unsure of what she meant, Rosie stared at the petite blonde who had just spoken, and replied, "Pardon me?"

"Don't play dumb with us. Just stay away from Beau! He's ours!" she said again.

"Marie! That's enough!" This time another of the women spoke up.

Marie glared her sister, "You saw the way Beau was looking at and talking about her last night. _I tell you, she is a threat!_"

"Please forgive my sister. She doesn't know what she's saying." the other sister told Rosie apologetically.

"Yes, I do!" Marie pouted at her two sisters.

Rosie had to cover an escaped giggle with a well placed coughing fit, when Marie glared her way. It was clear to her that Marie thought that she was a serious threat for Beau. Nothing could be further from the truth. While Rosie thought he was extremely handsome, the last thing she wanted or needed right now was a romantic entanglement. Perhaps if she explained that this was strictly a business trip for her, this Marie might understand.

Before she was able to, she was interrupted by "Marie, would you just give it a rest! Not every woman worships Beau and the ground he walks on. I know that _may_ come as a shock to you, but it's true."

At the sound of another feminine voice, the group turned. There behind them stood a curly reddish-gold haired young woman with a small child holding onto her hand. Rosie smiled at the newcomers, thankful for the interruption.

As she joined the group, she smiled back and then replied, "Welcome to Molyneaux, Rosie. My name's Dori Favre. I trust you are enjoying your stay here."

"Oh, yes, Dori, very much. Everyone's been gracious and kind so far. Thank you. Favre, you say? Are you related to Bertrand then?" Rosie vaguely remembered him from last night.

"Yes, he's my husband, and this is our son, Roy." She nodded down at the young boy at her side.

"Hello, Roy," Rosie smiled at the red-haired child, judging him to be around three or four. "It's nice to met you."

Roy looked up at the stranger, staring at her for a minute, before saying, "_Maman_, pwetty Belle!"

Rosie slightly blushed at the boy's comments, and Dori, seeing this, said, "Yes, she does look like the lady in the painting, doesn't she? But this is Rosie, sweetheart, not Belle. Can you say Rosie?"

The little boy looked at Rosie, and immediately said, "_Wosie!_"

Both Rosie and Dori looked at Leroy, then at each other, and started to laugh. The little boy, not knowing what they were laughing about, joined in. They continued laughing for the next little while.

After a few minutes went by, Rosie and Dori finished laughing and regained control of themselves.

"Oh my, I've not laughed like that in forever," Dori told Rosie. She was still giggling.

"Leave it to a child to make you do so," Rosie replied, chuckling as well. "I've learned that many times over the last few years with my students. They do say the darndest things."

Rosie went to say something to the three sisters, only to find them not there. She quizzically glanced around the area, then asked Dori, "Where'd they go and who were they?"

During this time, the LaFemme sisters had taken advantage of the situation and returned to their boutique. Because they were single and did not deal with children, they had lost interest in the conversation quickly.

"Let's see if I can find them." Dori then glanced in the direction of the little boutique and said, "Just as I thought, they went back into their little boutique. See, you can see them spying on us. Those girls are hopeless. No doubt the LaFemme sisters think that you're a threat to them. Don't let them bother you."

Rosie snuck a glance over in their direction and saw what Dori had said was true. As she looked over there, one of them, must be Marie she thought, had turned away quickly when she saw Rosie watching her. Rosie just shook her head at their shenanigans.

"Yes, those were the famous LaFemme triplets. Known for their beauty, but not for their brains. Let's see there's Michele, the medium blonde. She's the oldest. Next there's Monique, the middle sister. She's the light blond. Then there's Marie, the platinum blonde." Dori shook her head at the name, then continued, "She's the youngest of the three and it shows in her behavior. She seriously needs to grow up."

"So I've noticed. What's the matter with her? I was just strolling along and then she just started in on me…well, you heard her."

"Don't mind them. The only problem with them…is Beau. He's got them, as well as the rest of the girls in this village, in a trance over him. They don't want any one crowding in on their territory. They consider him exclusively theirs and constantly are vying for him to notice them, but all for naught. Beau only pays occasional attention to them when he wants to."

"I don't know what they're so worried about. I'll be too busy with school during my stay here that I really won't have time for anything else, let alone a relationship – which is the last thing I need right now."

"Oh, I hope that's not true! I would like for us to become friends. Perhaps one evening, you would like to join Bertrand and myself for dinner at our home."

"I would like that. Thank you, Dori," Rosie smiled at her. "So did Beau have you under his spell? My guess is no, since you're married to Bertrand."

"Actually you'd be surprised at the answer, Rosie," Dori laughed. "The answer was yes, until Bertrand was able to finally convince me that Beau wasn't the only man in town. Bertrand wanted to settle down and have a family, which was what I wanted as well, while Beau was not ready for that yet. He's still not because he's a bit of a playboy. However the way Bertrand tells it, you made _quite_ the impression on him last night. Bertrand tells me that Beau was actually speechless for a long time, which is not like him. Looks like you're going to get lots and lots of attention in the forth-coming future. Just a friendly warning to you, Rosie."

"Thanks, Dori," Rosie replied. "But I don't know what good it will do him, though. I'm not looking for a romance at this time, especially with a Frenchman, no matter _how_ good looking he is."

The slight bitter tone of her voice that crept in at the last part of the sentence made Dori wonder what had happened in Rosie's past. She didn't ask, because she didn't want to impose. If Rosie wanted to tell her later, then Dori was willing to wait for the explanation.

There was a momentary pause before either of them spoke up. Rosie finally broke the silence, "Please, Dori, pay me no heed, I was just being melancholic right then."

"That's all right, Rosie. Believe me, I understand. Anytime you want to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks, Dori, I really appreciate that. Ah! Would you look at the time? I better get back to the LePages' because Celeste probably is wondering where I am. You're coming to the tea tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yes, Celeste called and invited me this morning. I'm looking forward to it. Even more so now."

"Glad to see _you_ are. I'm a little nervous to face all the matrons of this town because I want to make a good impression."

Dori laughed, and assured her, "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"One more thing."

"Yes?"

"Where _is_ the flower shop in Molyneaux? Celeste told me, but either I'm not looking in the right place or it's disappeared completely."

Dori laughed and said, "It moved very recently. Celeste must not know about it. I'll show you. It's located not too far from where our house is."

"Thanks."

With Dori leading the way, Rosie quickly found the flower shop. It was where she had said. Rosie saw a gym not too far away from it and was thrilled to see it.

"There's a gym here?"

"Yes, I know it seems funny to see it here in tiny Molyneaux. It's owned and run by Beau. Big surprise there, huh?"

Rosie laughed, "No, not really. Thanks for all your help, Dori."

"You're quite welcome, Rosie. I'll see you later."

She watched Rosie wave and then enter the flower shop. When she couldn't see Rosie any more, she turned and headed towards her home. As she passed by the gym, Bertrand and Beau exited the building.

"Dori!" Bertrand called to his wife.

She turned in the direction of his voice, and Dori's face lit up when she saw her husband. Bertrand's did the same when he looked upon his wife and son. When Dori reached the two men, Bertrand quickly kissed her and then scooped up his little son, who was giggling gleefully, "Papa, more!" as he threw him up in the air. Beau took all this in with an indifferent expression on his face.

Bertrand looked at his friend's face, and told him, "Aw, c'mon, Beau. Wouldn't you like this in your life eventually? I tell you there's nothing like it in the world."

"Maybe for you, but that life is not for me…unless the right girl comes along, then I'll think about it."

"Like Rosie?"

"Bertrand!" Dori jabbed him in the stomach.

"You just might have something there, buddy," Beau started thinking about the possibilities, and a sly smile crossed his face. Rosie _was_ a beauty and there would be some prestige restored to the Laroche name if he married her. Plus that nasty little incident regarding his ancestor would be wiped out. His grin grew wider. This was a very choice situation that had presented itself to him.

At the sight of that smile, the Favres grew alarmed. "Beau?" Bertrand asked. "I was just joking. You know, just kidding around. You only just met her and don't know anything about her, except that she's a American and a schoolteacher."

"I'm not. Rosie is not going to know what hit her, when I get through with her. Thanks, guys!"

"Wait, Beau. I've just been speaking to Rosie. The way she talked it sounded like her last relationship went pretty bad. So give her time or at least give it some consideration, won't you please?"

"Okay, for you, Dori, I'll wait for a couple days and then… it's hello, Rosie! Later, guys."

As he walked off all confident like, the Favres looked at each other worried and knew that Beau was going hunting and that he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.


	5. Tea and a Judgement is Served

**Tea and a Judgement is Served**

"Welcome! How nice you look! So glad you could join us! Come in, come in and take a seat. Anywhere is fine. Oh my, that looks delicious! Here let me take that for you," Celeste greeted the town matrons who were streaming into her house for the tea. "Rosie, would you be a dear and take these into the dining room for me?"

"Certainly, Celeste," Rosie told her, as Celeste handed her trays of goodies. Rosie made her way to the dining room and placed the plates of food down on the table. She breathed deeply and told herself, _Reed_, _you can do this_.

In all honesty, she was glad for the opportunity to do something, even something as small as this. It gave her a chance, if only for a few moments, to escape from the scrutiny of the townswomen. It had been very disconcerting for her when she watched them all pass by her, only giving her fleeting glances. The only response that she had been able to muster had been a very nervous smile. These women held the key to how her year in the village would go. Do fine, and she was on solid footing, mess up and she'd be on shaky ground. She only hoped that she wouldn't make a fool of herself and therefore wear away what little confidence that the women had in her.

The one good thing about this tea was that it was only for married women and mothers. There were no single women here to look at her suspiciously as though she had designs on Beau, but she soon realized that while there wouldn't be any unmarried girls here, their mothers would be. She groaned as the thought went through her mind.

"Rosie!" Celeste's voice called out to her. "There are some ladies I would like you to meet."

"Coming, Celeste," she called out and took another deep breath before reentering the room. _Here we go!_ she thought. _Okay, Reed, this is your one chance to prove yourself. Don't mess it up!_

As she entered the living room, her spirits were lifted when she saw Dori sitting on one of the chairs. Rosie breathed easier. At least there were two friendly faces here. As if Dori had read her mind, she smiled at Rosie and gave her "_it's going to be all right_" look. This heartened Rosie somewhat, but she would feel a heck of a lot better in an hour or so when this was all over.

"Ladies, I would like to welcome you and thank you for coming today. The refreshments, including the tea, are located on the dining room table. Feel free to help yourself at anytime. Now may I present Rosalie Reed, our foreign exchange schoolteacher. Rosie, this is Madame Eleonore Levesque, the mayor's wife, Madame Gabrielle Herroit, the doctor's wife, and this is our principal's wife, Madame Simone Berger…" Celeste continued on with the introductions, naming her other guests, including Dori.

As she did so, Rosie familiarized herself with all the ladies' names, but recognized that the first three were the most important in Molyneaux. It was these three women that she would have to prove herself to, as well as the parents of her students. If they accepted or approved of her, then she would have nothing to fear.

"How do you do? I'm so very pleased to meet you," Rosie nodded and smiled at each of them, her true feelings hidden. She took a seat between Celeste and Mme. Levesque and immediately wished she hadn't, because she noticed all eyes were on her. Her level of anxiety rose.

Rosie had a good reason for the way she was feeling. Many of the women had daughters who were of marriageable age. To them, Rosie represented a threat for Beau. News had spread quickly throughout the village regarding Beau's reaction upon seeing this newcomer and what they had heard was not agreeable. Their daughters had pleaded with their mothers to find out what her intentions were.

Mme. Levesque looked at the young woman to her right and scrutinized her. The talk had been true; Rosie _was_ the mirror image of Belle. She had not believed it at first, scoffing at the very idea. But she could not deny it, having seen it for herself. Having only sons, she was not worried about this potential threat. She left that worry to her friends and neighbors who had daughters.

Her concern was whether this young woman could handle the pressure of teaching. It would be a tough assignment. Could she handle it? She looked too young, too delicate, and not tested enough. When she had heard of the foreign teacher, she was not convinced it was a good idea. What knowledge would an outsider have about Molyneaux? Most likely she would be a city dweller, who had no knowledge of small town life. Plus she had expected to have someone much older than this come in. Rosie's age did not help persuade her otherwise.

But when her friend, Celeste, had invited her to the tea, she had spoken well of the young teacher. That was one thing in Rosie's favor. Celeste was quiet spoken, but she and Stephan were both well respected and well liked.

So Mme Levesque decided that she would give Rosie the benefit of the doubt. "So tell me, Mademoiselle Reed, how are you finding our little village during your stay? Do you like it here?"

"Oh, very much, Mme. Levesque, but please call me Rosie. Everyone does. I am very happy to say it reminds me a little of my hometown back in America," Rosie answered. She smiled as she thought of her home.

"You come from a small town, then?" Mme. Levesque was both surprised and pleased to hear this.

"Yes, one a little bigger than this. My family, my mother and father, and I actually moved there when I was about seven and we've lived there ever since," she explained.

"Then how is it you came to Molyneaux?" Mme. Berger inquired. She was just as eager to find out as her friends and the other women of the town were. How _did_ a small town girl end up here?

"In high school, I learned French and was a exchange student in my junior year, in grade 11. In college, I studied to become a teacher and spent an extra year in college over here again. I minored in French, as well," Rosie replied.

"Ah, that would explain why you speak French so well," Mme. Levesque replied.

"_Merci_! Well, three years of it in high school and all throughout college will make you learn fast," Rosie chuckled. "And my two years in France helped because I was able to speak it all the time. I've always been of the opinion that if you are going to visit another country, you must take the time to learn at as much of the language you can. You can thank both my parents for that."

"Your parents sound like reasonable and good people. Not many Americans take the time to do so. What do they do?"

"My father was an mechanical engineer, but he's retired. And my mother is a librarian. I get my love of books from her. They have taught me to gain as much knowledge as possible, and to never quit learning. Which is why I've been to many different countries, mostly in Europe."

"You have wise parents who have taught you well. May I say those are both very fine professions. However, I presume this means your mother worked while you were growing up," Mme. Levesque stated, a hint of disapproval in her voice. She had never had to work because her husband had always provided for her and her family and thought it best for a woman to stay at home.

"Actually she only volunteered at our local library when I was a child. It wasn't until I entered into grade seven or eight that she went back to college and got her degree. My dad is quite content with the arrangement. He gave her his blessing and is now happily retired," Rosie clarified for her.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters, then?" Mme. Herroit asked. She too was curious about this newcomer, but was one of the women who – having two daughters – was wary of Rosie.

After she finished nibbling on a finger sandwich, Rosie said, "No, I'm an only child unfortunately. My parents actually wanted more children, but it was even a miracle that I'm here. They were told earlier on in their marriage that my mother wasn't able to have children. So it was a surprise that they learned that my mother was expecting. And after I was born, the doctors were firm about no more children. Oh, but we're getting off the subject! You were wondering how it was that a small town girl ended up here in Molyneaux as a teacher."

All the women leaned forward to eagerly to hear the rest of the story. Rosie continued, "It actually started about a year ago, when my class and I decided to write letters to different parts of France. Louis ended up being the recipient of my letter. "

"Celeste tells us that you were pen pals with Louis and we didn't even know this. What made you continue on with the correspondence? After all, he is not much to look at," one of the younger matrons asked. As a result of her remark, she earned sharp looks from her elders, even if what she had said was true.

Rosie thought for a moment before answering, "There was something in the way he wrote that was so eloquent that I felt a connection with him. So we continued sending letters back and forth to each other. Before too long, I had another long distance friend. As for our appearances, it was he who suggested that we not send each other pictures. It wasn't until the last letter when I told him that I was coming that I sent him mine."

The women looked at each other skeptically. Louis, eloquent? That word did not come to mind when they thought of him. Rosie missed the expressions when she took a sip of tea.

"Why not use the Internet?" Dori asked her.

"I suggested that, but Louis said he didn't have access to a computer and that he was not computer literate." The women scoffed at this, knowing full well that Louis had full knowledge and access to many computers.

Rosie continued, "I couldn't really tell you why he didn't let anyone know. Perhaps he had his reasons. I'll have to ask him when I see him again, because I only saw him for a moment at the tavern when I first arrived here. Besides, the art of writing is becoming lost with the Internet and emails everyone writes these days. And it gave me a good reason to practice writing my French. Speaking and reading French I have no problem with, but writing…that's a different story."

She laughed and said, "But I'm getting off the subject again. I've been teaching for about four years now. When I heard of a foreign exchange program where teachers could teach overseas in any country of their choosing, I jumped at the chance and applied. Where I would end up teaching was not up to me, but I was happy to learn that I would be coming to Molyneaux."

"Why is that, Mlle. Reed?" Mme. Berger asked.

"Because of information I recently learned from my father, I have reason to believe that my ancestors are from this area in France," Rosie told them. "So coming here means I have to the chance to research my family history."

This news brought murmurs and most of the women glanced at each other, worried. They had all seen the picture in the bookstore and knew the story behind it. If what she said was true, then there might be a repeat of Gaston and Belle.

One of the women, who had daughters, spoke up then, "Is that the _only_ reason you've come here? Or is there _another_ one? Perhaps it is Beau who drew you to Molyneaux."

Rosie looked at her in alarm. In that voice, there had been such ill will. Now that Dori and Celeste had explained the reason to her, she was prepared for this, but not the tone of the woman's voice. _Beau again?_ This had to come to an end. She glanced at Celeste, only to find that she and the other women were looking at the one woman with sharp looks.

"Angeline," Celeste spoke. "I think that's enough. After all Rosie doesn't know the story behind the picture yet. And she has never seen Beau before. Besides this is not the time nor place for that. It is supposed to be a welcoming tea for our new schoolteacher."

Those words, spoken so quietly, had their effect. Angeline fell silent, and an awkward silence fell over the room. Everyone concentrated on her cup of tea or plate of goodies.

It was Rosie who finally spoke up after a few minutes. She realized that this issue had to be addressed. So she said to everyone, "I knew not the tale nor did I know about the pictures or the people in them before I came here. As for Beau? Yes, he _is_ very handsome. But as for me, I'm not in the least bit interested in him, or any man for that matter, so you can let all your daughters and the other single women know that. I really haven't the best of luck with men and dating recently. I don't see that changing anytime soon and I really don't want to get my heart broken yet again. So Beau can chase and pursue me all he wants, but there will be no romance for me on this trip."

Upon hearing this, some of the women brightened. Their daughters would be pleased to hear that, especially since Beau was considered the most eligible of Molyneaux's bachelors. But though this was joyous news for them, they realized that there was someone among their midst who might need a sympathetic ear to listen to her. Now that they knew she was no threat to their daughters, they were all too willing to offer one. After all, most of them had been in a situation like this before.

"_Men_! Sometimes I wonder about them! Anytime you feel like talking, dear, you can come to any of us," Celeste told Rosie. The rest of the ladies chimed in and agreed with her.

To her astonishment, Mme. Levesque was finding that Rosie was slowly winning her over. Celeste had been right about the young woman's disposition. She was engaging but respectful, intelligent but modest, well spoken and seemed very grounded. She seemed the exact opposite of Belle, if the story was to be believed. She could very well be a welcome addition to Molyneaux, but her true test would be in the school with the children. If she proved herself there, only then would Mme. Levesque be convinced.

"Thank you. I appreciate your kind words," Rosie smiled at them. She sipped her tea.

As she gazed out at all those motherly and grandmotherly faces Rosie couldn't help herself. Before she knew it, she found herself telling them her troubles, "When I was over here the last time, I met someone and fell deeply in love with him. Truth to be told I thought he was _the_ one. I thought he felt the same way about me. But being young, I was mistaken and found out that he was seeing another woman at the same time. We parted on bad terms and my heart hasn't really healed from him yet. So I tend to be cautious with most men, _especially_ men who happen to be _very_ good-looking Frenchmen. So I'll do my best to keep my distance from Beau, that is if _he_ stays away from me."

As she was speaking, all were nodding and empathizing with her. They had each experienced, to a different degree of, some heartbreak as Rosie had, so they knew how she was feeling.

When she was finished, Rosie was surprised to realize that she was actually quite relaxed and enjoying herself. The hour was almost up, having flown by and the women were all sociable. She breathed easier. In hindsight, she wondered why she had been so nervous. All these women had wanted was to find out about her and her background. After all that was just human nature.

But Mme. Berger snapped her out of that mindset when she asked Rosie, "So tell us, Mlle. Reed, what would you say to some of our parents, especially the ones of the children you will be teaching, who are concerned that your age will be a distracting factor?"

When she asked Rosie this, the rest of the women, especially Mme. Levesque, focussed their attention on her. Rosie knew she had to answer this question very carefully, because this was her moment of truth. She thought for a moment because she knew what the principal's wife meant – to them youth equaled inexperience.

"Perhaps the best way I could convince them is not by my words but through my deeds. To simply just let me teach and judge me on that. After all actions speak louder than words," Rosie stated, smiling at them.

When she was done, Rosie inwardly cringed. '_After all actions speak louder than words!' What were you thinking? Your one chance to impress them and the best you could come up with was a cliché?_ She quickly took a sip of tea so no one would see her face. She was so mortified. They must think her a fool.

To her astonishment, she heard Mme. Levesque say, "You are very perceptive." When Rosie glanced up at her, she saw that Mme. Levesque and the rest of the women, including Mme. Berger, were all nodding their heads in agreement. Mme. Levesque continued addressing Rosie. "We cannot really judge how well a person handles a particular situation, until they find themselves in it. Though you could have phrased it differently," she chided her gently, and then gave her a wink.

As a result, Rosie sheepishly grinned back at her, but in truth she was relieved. They had agreed with her response, which meant they approved of…_Wait a minute_, she cautioned herself, _don't get ahead of yourself_. _Just because they thought well of your answer, doesn't necessarily mean that they have accepted you._

"Tell us, Mlle. Reed, what made you decide to become a teacher?" Mme. Herroit asked.

"Mlle. Lacey, my seventh grade English teacher. She was the main person who influenced me to become one. She believed in her students and encouraged us to do our best. She always made learning fun and cared about us. If there was anything wrong, she was always there to listen to us. It was after I finished her class that I knew what I wanted to do…teach. I wanted to be able to help kids and share their joy when they accomplished something. Plus I've always had a good rapport with them."

"Very admirable. Teaching is a very worthwhile profession."

"It can be, but there are some moments I just shake my head and wonder," Rosie shook her head and chuckled, thinking of a few of her students. "But with much gratitude to a former colleague and mentor and her encouragement during my first years of teaching, I've been able to handle it."

" It sounds like you're more than capable. Mme. Berger has told me that you received an honor of excellence of some sorts at your school," Mme. Levesque said to Rosie.

"Oh, my teacher of the year award." Rosie still couldn't believe that she had received it, so anytime it was mentioned she had a tendency of slightly blushing, which she was doing now. "Yes, well…I was presented with that because they felt I was the best teacher, or the most innovative, in our district back home last year. I was completely amazed when they presented it to me."

"And you've been teaching for only four years? You are to be commended," Mme Herroit told her.

"Thank you, but I have my colleagues and my students to thank. They are the real reason why I received that." Rosie smiled as she thought of her third grade class. "Besides I still have a long way to go before I become a good teacher. Always be willing to learn. Mme. Wyman taught me that."

"Mme. Deniaud would agree with that. She's our longest tenured and most respected teacher here," Mme. Berger told Rosie, who had an inquisitive look on her face. "She's seen many a student pass through her classroom."

"She sounds like someone I could be influenced by. I look forward to meeting her and finding out what wisdom she can impart to me to make me a better educator."

"Well, working with Mme. Deniaud will certainly help you reach your goal. And with your attitude, Rosie, I'm sure you'll win over the children in no time," Celeste told her. _And your colleagues and the parents_, she thought to herself.

Celeste was unaware that she was not the only one thinking this. By her modesty and her quiet charisma, Rosie had won over the matrons of Molyneaux.

Mme Levesque stood up. The rest of the women stood up as well in deference to her. She then addressed Celeste, "Thank you for inviting me, Celeste, but I must go now. I had a wonderful time. Mlle. Reed, it was a pleasure to meet you and do hope you enjoy your stay here in Molyneaux."

"Thank you, Mme. Levesque, I certainly will," Rosie answered. The amiable tone of the mayor's wife's voice was sweet music to her ears.

As Mme. Levesque prepared to leave, the rest of the women followed her lead and thanked Celeste and welcomed Rosie to Molyneaux. Rosie nodded and pleasantly thanked them.

As they gathered their purses and plates, Mmes. Levesque, Berger, and Herroit pulled Celeste aside. Rosie did not see this as she was talking with Dori.

"You were right about Mlle. Reed, Celeste. She is a very welcome addition to our community. She is quite charming, but very grounded and intelligent. I believe she'll need all those qualities if she plans to fend off Beau," Mme. Levesque chuckled. "_Au revoir_, Celeste, Simone, Gabrielle."

Her assessment of Rosie was unanimously agreed on with Mmes. Berger and Herroit saying the same thing.

"Knowing Rosie, I'm sure she'll manage Beau quite capably," Celeste answered. "Thank you for coming, ladies. _Au revoir_, Eleonore, Simon, Gabrielle."

As Celeste accompanied them to the door, Rosie happened to look over at Celeste. A wink from Celeste confirmed _what_ Rosie had thought. Finally she could relax and let out a big exhale of relief. Dori laughed at her response and was rewarded with a look that said_, I'd like to see you go through that. Then maybe you'd be singing a whole different tune._

Still laughing Dori just shook her head and then said her good-byes to both Rosie and Celeste, then left. As Rosie watched her head out the door and down the steps, Dori turned and waved.

Rosie started to wave back, but something else caught her attention. It was Louis! Rosie had not seen him since the first night she arrived. She called his name to get his attention.

Minding his own business Louis was surprised to hear his name and wondered who was addressing him. He turned in the direction of the voice and froze when he saw who it was.

* * *

_**A/N** -Thanks to all of you who are taking the time to read and review my story. Hope you are enjoying it. __Special thanks to TrudiRose, my beta reader._ _I appreciate your honesty and your insight as it helps me tell a better story and write better characters. _;) 


	6. At Last, the Truth

**At Last, the Truth**

For a few moments all that Louis could do was stare at Rosie. Frozen in place, he could neither speak nor move. He had dreaded this moment since he had received her letter saying that she was coming to Molyneaux. That was the reason why he had laid low the last few days, to avoid seeing her. He knew what she was going to ask him – why he had lied to her. That had him panicked because he had no answers.

But perhaps, part of him thought hopefully, maybe she will understand. After all, she had been pleased to see him a few nights ago.

_You idiot_, the other part rebuked him, _she was expecting someone like Beau, not you_. _Of course she had to act happy. In reality she is not going to want to be seen with you_. _I wouldn't be surprised if she laughed in your face._

"…Louis," Rosie's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up at her nervously when he heard his name.

_This is it_, he thought. _She's going to tell you off_.

"I'm sorry, Rosie, but you were saying? I didn't hear all of it. Would you repeat it again, please?" he asked her, with some trepidation.

"Why of course, Louis," Rosie told him, wondering why Louis sounded apprehensive. "I was saying that this is the first time that we've gotten the chance to speak to one another. We didn't get to talk very much the night I arrived, did we?"

"No, not really," he agreed with her. "As I recall, it was cut rather short because of Beau."

"I'll say," Rosie shook her head at the thought of Beau. "He certainly commands attention, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, that's Beau for you. Always in the spotlight," Louis replied.

_See_, _I was right_, the voice mocked him._ It's obvious that she's interested in Beau, not you_.

At the thought of this, his mood sank even lower. As he gazed at Rosie, the only thought going through his mind was how beautiful she was and how he…. he couldn't even finish the sentence.

Rosie took notice of this and was about to say something when Celeste stepped out onto the porch. When Celeste saw Louis, she waved and came down the steps to greet him. Louis waved back and pushed back any dismal thoughts he was having.

"_Bonjour_, Louis, and how are you?" Celeste asked him.

"_Bonjour_, Mme. LePage. Very well," Louis responded. "Rosie and I were just chatting. I only saw her for a short time a couple nights ago."

"Ah, yes. Stephan mentioned that. Well, why don't you come in? That way you and Rosie can talk in the living room or if you prefer, you can sit out here on the porch, if you wish."

Louis was about to decline the offer when he glanced over at Rosie and saw that she enthusiastically concurred with Celeste on the idea. So he bit his tongue and said that he would accept. When he did, he noticed that Rosie beamed at him and his disposition considerably brightened.

"Wonderful!" Seeing this, Celeste directed the two of them into the house and invited them to sit down. They both chose to sit on the sofa.

Then she turned to Louis and asked, "There's some refreshments left over from the tea. Would you care for some pie or cake, Louis?"

Louis nodded – he was never one to pass up food - and said, "I'll have pie please, Mme. LePage."

Celeste nodded and within a few minutes was back with the pie. She handed it to Louis, smiled, and said, "Let me know what you think of it. It's a strawberry-rhubarb pie."

Louis took a bite of it and slowly nodded his approval. "It's excellent, Mme. LePage. One of your best!"

Celeste looked at Louis, chuckled and then looked at Rosie, and replied, "Then you'd best aim your praises toward Rosie. She's responsible for the treat you're enjoying." Louis looked at Rosie with surprise. "Now, if you will excuse me, I believe you would like some privacy. If you need me I'll be in the office. It's nice to see you again, Louis."

"Likewise, Mme. LePage." He nodded his head back at her.

With that, Celeste withdrew and left the two alone. Louis, completely self-conscious and not ready to face Rosie, devoted himself to the dessert in front of him. Rosie noticed that Louis seemed nervous and patiently waited for him to finish.

_Well, why not_, she asked herself. _After you're a little nervous, too, if you want to be truthful_.

After a few minutes of silence passed, Louis finally found his courageand focussed on Rosie. Her smiling face emboldened him and he finally said to her, "This is delicious. Do you like to cook?"

"Thank you very much. It's a family recipe, passed down through at least a couple of generations. As for your question…yes, very much. Outside of reading and sports, it's my favorite hobby. It's really the only artistic way that I can express myself and share it with others."

"You like sports? Really? Which ones?" He seemed surprised. Rosie didn't seem the type.

"First and foremost is baseball. I just love it," Rosie replied enthusiastically. "Then there's basketball, volleyball, football-"

"You like football? That's great. So do I! I didn't think an American would like football." Louis was not impressed by baseball. To him that was not a real sport, unlike football. Now _there_ was a sport!

Rosie looked at him and realized that there was a miscommunication. "No, no, by football I mean American football, not soccer. Though I do like soccer as well-"

"Pah, American football. There's a very primitive sport and is pointless, as is baseball. I see no point in it," Louis dismissed the two American sports.

Rosie was slightly irked. What did a Frenchman know about the great American pastime? But as she looked at Louis, she was reminded why she was here and to debate different sports was not the reason.

"I simply love it because of the tradition and the history of the game. My father introduced me to baseball and we share a deep love and connection because of that. In a way, you could say it resembles soccer in that way. But I guess, to each his own! Besides that is not why I have come to Molyneaux. You and the children are. It's finally great to get to talk to you like this after writing letters for so long," Rosie gently replied.

Inwardly she was thinking, _All right already! Enough with the cliches, Reed!_

Hearing Rosie say this, Louis was prodded back into reality. He took a deep breath and said to her, "I have a confession to make. As you can tell, I'm not who I said I was. I'm sorry for misleading you. I apologize and if you don't want to see me again, I understand completely."

Having said that, Louis looked down and waited for Rosie to say something to him. Taking in this scene, Rosie was affected by it and wanted to ease his fears.

"Louis," she called softly to him.

Louis looked up and Rosie saw the anxiety in his eyes. She moved closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder. Louis took note of this. Perhaps this was a good sign for him.

_Or maybe she's just toying with you before she shoots you down! Did you ever think of that?_ The voice taunted.

"Louis, listen to me. Please don't feel like you have to apologize." He gazed at her incredulously. She continued, "As for the matter of not seeing you again, of course I want to see you again! You're part of the reason I came here. I consider you a friend."

"You mean…you mean you're not going to hold it against me?" His voice was filled with awe. He couldn't believe it.

Rosie shook her head and told him, "No, friends don't do that to each other and neither will I."

When Louis heard this, his mood lifted. So when Rosie gently asked him, "So tell me, why did you felt the need to hide the real you?" he was ready with his answer.

"I guess…" he stopped, then thought for a second. "No, I know I was afraid if you knew the real me, instead of the 'manly' guy I portrayed myself as, you wouldn't like me and then the letters would have stopped. I never really thought that you would end up coming to Molyneaux."

"To tell you the truth, Louis, I'm glad you are exactly who you are, and not the guy you pretended to be. I don't think I could have handled another 'manly' man again…but it looks like I've got that problem again," she sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Yeah, Beau is one 'manly' guy-" Louis stopped, Rosie's words sinking in. "Hold on a second! Are you saying that you _don't_ want Beau's attention?" Louis asked.

He was dumbfounded that a woman, even one beautiful as Rosie, wasn't interested in Beau. The thought was foreign to him, and to Beau, as well. Beau would not react very well to this news, but for the moment Louis was not concerned with that.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Though he _is_ extremely handsome, I must confess. However, Louis, I came here to see you, not Beau, so let's talk about you. All right? Though I am curious to how you know each other."

"We've known each other since we were kids. We grew up, as friends, along with the other boys our age, like Bertrand and Andre. Beau was the leader of the group and we always looked up to him cause he was the best in everything. It was all great until our preteen and teen years hit. When Beau got older, he got handsomer, and all the girls – and everyone else - started treating him as if he was special, if they hadn't done so before. Everyone paid attention to him and I kinda got left out of the spotlight. As you can tell, if you're not big and powerful – and I'm not – in Molyneaux, you're nobody."

"So that's why you portrayed yourself as a jock, because it gave you a boost of confidence. Louis, you give yourself far less credit than you deserve. Surely, you have some ability that is appreciated in Molyneaux."

Louis looked at Rosie, wishing he could tell her about his talent, but he stayed silent and told her, "No, not really."

"Now, Louis you know that's not true! Many of the people in Molyneaux are appreciative of your talent," Celeste protested, coming into view.

"Yes, but how many are around my age, Mme. LePage?" Louis replied. "They're more likely to be seen with Beau, not me."

When Celeste didn't answer right away, both Louis and Rosie noticed that she was visibly upset. They were immediately concerned and asked her what was the matter.

Celeste turned to Louis and told him, "It's that machine, that computer. It's nothing but trouble. I don't know why I let Stephan talk me into getting one of those things. I was working on a program, a very important program. It's for the upcoming order for Stephan's shop, and all of a sudden, it disappeared. I don't know where it's gone or what I did. Louis, can you take a look at it and see if you can retrieve it?"

Rosie was confused. Why was Celeste asking Louis for help with her computer? As far as she knew Louis was computer illiterate – or so he had said. She made up her mind to ask him about this.

She followed Celeste and Louis into the office. The two women watched as Louis sat down and quickly scanned the monitor screen. Then he searched through the contents of the computer, looking for something particular. After a few minutes, he found what he was looking for and typed in a few commands. Much to Celeste's immense relief, her program – which she feared lost – suddenly reappeared just as she had seen it last.

"Oh, _merci_, Louis. I cannot thank you enough! Whatever you did, thank you!" Celeste told him.

"You're quite welcome, Mme. LePage. It's quite simple. Some how you must have accidentally hit the close button. It's really easy to retrieve any of your programs. I'll leave written instructions for you, or if you want, Rosie certainly can help you."

When Celeste looked at Rosie, she nodded her consent.

In response, Celeste replied, "Wonderful! Thank you, Rosie. Did you know that Louis is quite an asset to the community of Molyneaux? Many shop keepers rely on him to help them with their orders and bookkeeping with the expertise he has in computers."

"No, I had no idea at all," Rosie said, looking at Louis. "Louis, why didn't you tell me? I'm into computers myself…well, I know how to use them at least. The technical jargon escapes me however. But this is something that you should be proud of, not hide."

Louis reddened at the compliment, and told her, "I didn't want to come across as a computer 'geek', because I thought I might bore you." Rosie scoffed at this, saying that he wouldn't. Louis continued, "Besides intelligence in this village is downplayed. As I mentioned before, people prefer brawn to brains. Take Beau for example."

"Ugh, not him again! Believe me, Louis, you have nothing to fear. I prefer brains to brawn, however if a man is both brainy _and_ brawny, well…let's just consider that a bonus. But enough of that talk!" Rosie giggled. "It's good to know that there's a computer expert near by and that I won't have to travel so far, should my laptop have a problem."

Louis again colored at Rosie's praise and said that he would be happy to help with any problem that she had.

"As to the answer of your earlier question, Louis. I know of at least one, Louis," Rosie said. "Me!"

Louis looked at Rosie, a big grin creeping across his face, and nodded, "That's true!"

He was still standing smiling at her, when the living room clock chimed. Startled to see what time it was, Louis thanked both Rosie and Celeste for their hospitality, then bade them farewell.

Before he left, Celeste retreated to the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a plate with a slice of cake and pie. Louis thanked her and bade her good evening.

When he turned to leave, he was surprised to see Rosie accompany him outside. As he started to walk down the porch steps, he looked back. Rosie smiled at him again, and replied, "Goodbye, Louis. Don't be a stranger!"

He waved back at her for a few seconds and then headed home, completely forgetting the fact that he was supposed to meet up with Beau, because he was on cloud nine.

Rosie waved at him until she couldn't see him anymore. When he was out of sight, she turned and went back into the house, unaware that some one had been watching her and Louis for the last few minutes.

Scowling, Beau had watched this exchange from across the street. When Louis hadn't shown up to meet him, he was put off, but for the first few minutes he bided his time. When a few minutes stretched into fifteen minute, then into twenty, Beau's patience wore thin. He decided to search for Louis and find out what had delayed him.

He had wandered the streets impatiently. If anyone had called to him or wanted to talk to him, he ignored them, or one glance at his face stopped them. Beau was on a mission and didn't want to be deterred.

It was when only Andre and Bertrand hailed him, across the street from the LePages' house that he had stopped. Seeing it was two of his buddies, he had decided to stop and asked them if they had seen Louis anywhere. Both of them said they had not.

Beau was just about to continue his search for Louis, when Andre halted him by saying, 'Why that sly dog! I didn't know Louis had it in him."

Beau stopped and turned around to stare at Andre. Andre continued by on saying, "I know where you can find him. Just take a look across the street!"

Beau turned and looked at the most incredible sight. There were Rosie and Louis on the front porch of the LePages' house, talking and laughing. His eyes grew wide and then narrowed at this scene as he studied it.

He was about to cross the street to put an end to this, when Bertrand's voice halted him. "Come on, Beau, let them be."

For this, Bertrand got a glowering look in his direction. Unfazed, Bertrand continued, "You're gonna have countless opportunities to impress Rosie. After all she's here for a whole year. But just take a look at Louis's face. I've never seen the guy happier! Do you mean to tell me that you want to break up that sight? Come on, Beau, just for once let him have this moment."

Beau took another glance across the street. Louis was now headed on his way home, waving to Rosie as he did. Rosie was returning the favor, and the sound of her melodious voice calling farewell to Louis drifted its way over to the three men. Beau scowled one more time at the scene. However, on seeing that Rosie has gone into the house, he relented. As he did, Bertrand and Andre sighed in relief.

The three men then parted, each headed to a different destination, taking their leave of each other. But as they did, Bertrand and Andre knew Beau was just biding his time until another choice opportunity happened to come along his way.

* * *

_**A/N** - just a quick personal FYI - For all you baseball and football fans out there - although Louis doesn't care for_ _them, that is not my opinion. I share Rosie's viewpoint about baseball, and love the game very much. And baseball's back! Yay! So excited!_


	7. Advantage, Beau

**Advantage…Beau**

Much to his frustration over the next week, Beau found out he had to bide his time when it came to Rosie. This did not sit well with him, as he was accustomed to getting what he wanted right away.

After all, one cannot pursue what one wants if one cannot locate it.

Rosie was simply nowhere to be found and when he did occasionally see her, it was a very brief glimpse. She always seemed very occupied and didn't have time to stop, only having to the chance to wave at him. Beau wondered what Rosie could possibly deem more important than him.

It was the beginning of the school year that was fast approaching that had Rosie completely busy. There was so much to do – books to get, lessons to plan, names of students to learn, a classroom to set up. Rosie wondered if she'd get it all done before the start of school and so she devoted all her attention to this task.

It seemed that she had no time for anything else, including Louis and Dori. However they understood the position she was in and did not take it personally when she declined invitations. Rosie knew if she were to earn the respect of her fellow teachers and the parents, it would be for the best if she was prepared as much as possible.

So it was with great delight on the Saturday before school started that Rosie found that she was finishing her tasks way ahead of schedule. Seeing this, she decided to treat herself to a day just for her.

After breakfast, Rosie called Dori. When Dori answered, "Favre residence, Dori speaking," Rosie replied "Hi, Dori. Rosie here. Long time, no talk, huh?"

"Exactly!" Dori said, laughing. She could hear Rosie giggling, too. "Hi, Rosie. I take it this means you are done with all your school responsibilities, then?"

"Yes!" Rosie said emphatically. Dori chuckled at her response. Rosie then confessed, "Well, just about. I still have a few things to do, but I actually need work to start to finish them."

"That's great and that means you will be able to come dine with us," Dori happily told her.

"That's right. Does your invitation still stand?" Rosie hopefully inquired.

"Of course. How does tonight sound then?" Dori responded.

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose on you if you had anything planned for tonight – do you?" Rosie asked her hesitantly.

"No, nothing that we're aware of. Besides, we'd love to have you over at our house tonight," Dori assured her.

"Then I accept. Just one question – is there anything I can bring?" Rosie queried

"Wonderful! Just bring yourself. Excuse me for a moment, Rosie." Rosie waited patiently as she heard Dori say, "Bertrand, what do you want? Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

Rosie heard Bertrand answer in the background, "If that's Rosie on the phone, tell her that I love her strawberry-rhubarb pie and she can bring that if she would like."

Rosie had to smother a giggle as she heard Dori tell her husband, "Thank you for your input. Now go away so Rosie and I can continue the rest of our conversation in peace." Returning to their conservation, Dori told her, " I'm sorry about that, Rosie, but sometimes I just don't know about these guys!"

"I'll definitely second that, Dori," Rosie laughingly agreed with her. "So I guess I'll be bringing dessert to your house tonight when I come for dinner."

"So it seems, but yes. Please do bring it and if you can, could you bring the recipe, too? Bertrand raved about the pie after last Sunday. I know he'll be really happy to know I have the recipe. Though, I'm not sure I'll be able to duplicate it. It was really delicious!" Dori complimented Rosie.

"No problem, and I'm sure you'll have no difficulty with it. It's really simple to make. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer them," Rosie told her in return.

"Thanks, Rosie, I really appreciate that. We usually eat around six o'clock, so why don't you come around 5:30. That way we can talk a bit before dinner and I'll take you on a tour of our house," Dori said.

"All right, sounds good to me! I'll see you then. Bye, Dori," Rosie told her.

"Bye, Rosie. We'll see you tonight," Dori responded.

After she got off the phone with Dori, Rosie glanced at her watch. Seeing what time it was, Rosie figured that it would be for the best to make the pie now before she spent the rest of the day relaxing. Besides this way, the pie would be able to cool down while she was out.

Rosie headed downstairs to bake. Having just finished cleaning up, Celeste was in the living room reading, so that meant Rosie had the whole kitchen all to herself. After notifying Celeste that she had been invited to dine with the Farves that evening, Rosie devoted her time to making the pie.

Rosie had just finished gathering all the ingredients and was prepping them, when Stephan entered the kitchen. Being sharp eyed, he recognized what she was making right away and started to salivate.

"Ah, I see that you are making a pie. Could it be your famous and delicious concoction with strawberries and rhubarb? Who is the lucky recipient of it? Could it be for us?" Stephan inquired, his eyes hopeful.

"Sorry, Stephan, I'm afraid not. This is headed to the Favres for dinner. I've been invited over there tonight, and Bertrand special requested this. So here I am!" Rosie replied, chuckling.

"Too bad. Perhaps you can find it in your heart to make another one, then?" Stephan asked. Rosie had to chuckle because he looked so forlorn.

Upon hearing this, Celeste was in the kitchen immediately, and told her husband, "Now you just stop pestering Rosie, Stephan. She's making that for the Favres, not for you. Besides, shouldn't you be on your way to the store. Now, shoo! Rosie, pay him no heed."

Rosie laughed and said, "It's alright, Celeste. I really don't mind making two pies, because it is so easy to make. Besides I like to bake. It really is no problem at all. It's a way for me to relax and after the week I've had, I need all the relaxation I can get."

Celeste seemed dubious at first, but when she saw Rosie was all right with the situation, she eased up. Stephan was ecstatic and went to work with a big grin on his face.

Seeing this, Celeste just shook her head at her husband's antics, simply saying, "Men!"

As a result, Rosie could not help but giggle. Celeste joined in and they shared a good laugh for a few minutes.

With all distractions removed, Rosie settled in and applied herself to making the pies. The time went quickly and soon both the pies were in the oven baking. While they cooked, she checked her emails and responded accordingly to them. She smiled as she read the ones from her friends – especially Ian - and her family. It was good to be able to talk to them as much as she could. Though she loved Molyneaux and its inhabitants, she often felt a little homesick every now and then, so she treasured every contact she had with those she loved.

By the time she had finished with her emails, the pies were done and ready to be taken out of the oven. With them now cooling, Rosie was ready to take in the sights and smells of the small provincial town.

Before she left the house, she told Celeste, "With Stephan at the bookstore, I guess we don't have to worry about test tasters, do we?"

"No, we certainly don't, Rosie. Your pies are safe for the time being, any way," Celeste replied, chuckling. "Where are you off to now then?"

"Probably to the bookstore and _La Petite Femme_ most definitely, then I'll just see what happens. Hopefully I won't run into Beau," Rosie said.

"All right then. Have a good time, Rosie. I'll see you later on, then," Celeste told her,

"Bye, Celeste. Enjoy your quiet day." Rosie waved at her as she walked down the porch steps and to the main part of town. Celeste returned the wave until she couldn't see Rosie.

Rosie knew exactly where she wanted to go at first – to the bookstore. There she would be able to peruse books for recreational reading, not for educational purposes. And since Stephan was the proprietor of the shop, she knew that she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted.

As she walked into the bookstore, Stephan greeted her, "_Bonjour_, Rosie. I was wondering if you were ever going to be able to come back in here."

Rosie laughingly replied, "_Bonjour_, Stephan. I was wondering that myself, but I made it! However, I know such trips as this will be precious in the upcoming months, so I'm going to enjoy myself for the time being and submerge myself in books, books, books!"

"Then is there something in particular I can help you with or help you to find?" Stephan inquired.

"No thanks, Stephan. I think right now I'm just going to browse, but if I find anything, I'll let you know," Rosie told him.

"Very well," Stephan answered her. "I'll be over at my desk should you need me."

Rosie stayed in the bookshop for about an hour, passing the time away alternating between looking at books and conversing with Stephan. She also caught herself often looking at the portrait of the young woman and wondered about her. Stephan had said that he would tell her the story behind the painting, but hadn't yet.

Not that she could blame him. They both had been very busy this week – she with school, he with his work. Perhaps after she returned from the Favres, she would ask him to tell her the tale. The longer she was here in Molyneaux, the more it intrigued her.

About an hour later, Rosie bid Stephan farewell. "I'll see you tonight after I return from the Favres', Stephan."

"All right, Rosie. Where are you headed off to now?"

"To a shop that probably won't interest you, to _La Petite Femme_," she told him, with a smile.

"You've got that right! See you later, then." He nodded and waved at her as she left the bookshop.

Rosie waved back and exited, then headed down the street until she came to _La Petite Femme. _Before she entered the boutique, she did a little window shopping to see if anything caught her eye first – which a cute flowered top did. That did it! She was hooked. Rosie was not one to pass up going shopping – another one of her "hobbies".

Rosie eagerly entered the shop to see what treasures she could find. Unfortunately she was not prepared for the greeting that she was met with.

When the doorbells chimed, the three sisters turned eagerly to the door to help whoever had come into their shop. However, when they saw Rosie, their attitude changed and "May we help you?" died on Michele's lips.

"Oh, it's only you! What do _you_ want?" Marie sneered.

Rosie was stunned at this rather hostile reception and speechless for a moment. However, she recovered, and answered, "I saw a cute top in your window and thought I might see if you have it in my size. If you do, I would like to purchase it. I've wanted to come in here ever since I got to Molyneaux because you have some really cute clothes. Do you mind if I browse in here?"

"Thank you," Michele told her.

"Why, feel free to-" Monique started to reply, before Marie cut her off.

"Yes, we do! Why would we want to help you, the competition?" Marie snapped at Rosie.

Her retort earned sharp glances from both her sisters. Michele told her sister, "Marie! We have a potential customer. Please excuse her again."

Puzzled, Rosie just stared at her. What was Marie babbling about? "Help the competition? I'm not sure what you mean."

"Don't pay dumb with us. I' m referring to _Beau_! If you want to buy clothes to impress Beau, you won't get any in here," Marie told her.

Rosie was getting irritated. After a week of being here, the word that she wasn't interested in Beau hadn't still reached Marie's brain.

Rosie retorted back, "Look, I'm only going to tell you this once, so get it through that peroxide bleach blonde head of yours. _I'm not interested in Beau!_ So get off my back already, why don't you?"

When she was finished, Rosie felt a lot better, but she realized that she was in a potentially dangerous situation. She had raised the ire of Marie's sisters. They were glaring at her. Though Michele and Monique sometimes grew weary of Marie's antics, she _was_ a blood relative and no outsider was going to talk to her that way. Certainly not an American who clearly thought she was above them!

Seeing the only way out of this situation was to beat a hasty retreat, Rosie did just that – the top a far distant memory. She hated to do it, but she was not about to get into a catfight over Beau. No doubt he would be thrilled to hear that, she thought. Rosie decided that she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction at all, but she shot them a searing look that said, _I'll be back because_ _I'm not this easy to run off! _

As they watched Rosie exit the shop, Michele said to her sisters, "Well…of all the nerve! Girls, that is one customer we don't want in our boutique. She is not welcome in here. Is that understood?"

"But, Michele," Monique protested. "I don't see the problem. She wanted to buy something, and she's not interested in Beau."

To her, Rosie seemed all right. She could sympathize with Rosie's reaction to Marie's outburst. She too often felt that way about her younger sister. Plus it would be nice to have a friend who wasn't crazy over Beau and thus not in competition over him.

Monique went on, "I say we give her another-"

"NO! Absolutely not! You heard me. Under no circumstances are you two not to let her in the store at any time. Do I make myself clear?" Michele reprimanded her sister.

"Yes, Michele, you do!" the two other LaFemme sisters echoed, Monique only half-heartedly.

Seeing the outcome to her satisfaction, Michele returned to put new merchandise on the shelves. The other two followed her lead and returned to their tasks, but not before Marie piped up with, "The nerve of her. This is my natural color! I'm not a bleach bottle blonde!"

Her two sisters looked at her, looked at each other, looked back at Marie, and told her exasperatedly, "Oh, Marie, just be quiet!"

Marie just looked at her sisters and asked, "What did I say?"

Rosie, meanwhile, had calmed down. Walking through Molyneaux had helped soothe her and she had regretted her emotional outburst. As an outsider, the last thing she needed was an enemy. Rosie decided later on that she would seek out one of the sisters and try to mend their differences. The question was which one to approach? Definitely not Marie, but perhaps maybe Michele or even Monique?

As she was pondering this, she walked by Beau's gym. Rosie realized that this was a perfect opportunity to see if she would be able to join. A surprise awaited her as she stepped inside. Louis was at the front desk.

"Hi, Rosie! How's it going?" Louis asked her. He was happy to see her again.

"Louis, it's good to see you. What are you doing here?" Rosie responded.

**"**Saturday's the scheduled day I come and help Beau with his bookkeeping for the week. What brings you in here? I haven't seen you very much the last couple days."

"I've been way too busy with school this week. Finally got some time off to myself and decided I'd treat myself to a little R&R today. I thought I'd come in here and join…that is, if I can. Do you know if there are any membership fees?" Rosie inquired.

Louis shook his head, "Sorry, Rosie, not off the top of my head. I only help with the books and ordering. I'll buzz Beau for you, so he can answer any questions that you might have."

"He's here?" Rosie was surprised to hear this.

"Oh, yeah. Beau never misses a chance to work out. It's part of his daily routine," Louis told her.

He turned, located the intercom, pressed the button, and said "Beau, I have a question. Could you come out here to the front desk?"

A few moments of silence passed before they heard Beau's voice. He didn't sound happy: "Louis, how many times have I told you I'm not to be disturbed during my workout. Besides you deal with the books, not me!"

"Yeah, but Rosie-" Louis started to say.

"Rosie? She's here? Well, that changes everything. I'll be right there," they heard Beau said, a decidedly different tone in his voice.

"How can I help you, beautiful?" Within mere moments, Beau entered the main floor. Rosie's eyes widened and her jaw partially dropped at the sight before her.

There in front of her stood Beau, shirtless and glistening.

For a few seconds, Rosie could do nothing but gaze at him, her eyes going over his manly physique, especially his rock hard pecs and his bulging biceps. She whistled softly, appreciating what was standing before her.

_After all_, she rationalized, _I am a red blooded American woman, and there's nothing wrong with looking, especially when such a incredibly hot looking guy is standing before me, and he's so muscular, and so handsome…and…All right that's enough, Reed! Stop drooling and snap out of it before he gets the idea that you're attracted to him. That's not why you're here!_

And with that thought, Rosie recovered and came to her senses, hoping that Beau would not mistake her admiration for interest.

Unfortunately it was too late. Beau had seen that glint in her eye and knew what it meant. He had seen that exact same appraising look on countless other girls' and women's faces. She was helpless against his charms and good looks, just like he knew she would be. No woman could resist him. He smiled at the advantage that just had been handed to him.

Then he thought of something else. If Rosie turned out to be Belle's descendant, this would be even sweeter. His ancestor would finally be avenged. What delicious irony that would be!

Beau knew the tale of what happened in the 18th century and how Belle had rejected Gaston not once, but twice - _publicly_. That was bad, but what had made it worse was that she had turned him down for an ugly, hairy, inhuman monster – or so the story went. That was something that the villagers must never know, lest it tar _his_ reputation, especially with the ladies.

Louis had also seen Rosie's reaction. He sighed and glanced down. Rosie, despite her protestations, had not been immune to Beau. Which meant Beau would be constantly pursuing her, leaving Rosie no time for him. This didn't surprise him – it was inevitable with Beau – but it did upset him. It just wasn't fair. He glared at Beau, but Beau was focussed on Rosie.

"Yes, I was wondering about joining your gym. Are there any fees? What kind of equipment do you have? I like to keep in shape," Rosie speedily inquired, trying to focus on the business at hand – a hard task to do, when there is an incredibly sexy half-naked man standing in front of oneself, and one hadn't seriously dated in a long time.

"I can see that," Beau told her, as he glanced at Rosie's figure appreciatively and took notice of her tenseness. It was probably because she was trying to fight back the yearning she felt for him. He couldn't blame her. To prove this, he flexed his muscles and made his chest ripple.

Seeing this Rosie inhaled sharply and fought the urge to fan herself, telling herself, _Hello! Super hot stud at twelve o'clock! No, no! Stop it, Reed! Keep your mind on the task at hand! Must focus! Can't…hunky man in front of you! C'mon, fight it, girl! Don't let him get to you!_

Beau grinned at her reaction. It was just as he had suspected. She _definitely_ wanted him!

Feeling generous, he told her, "Why don't you come back on Monday and we can fill out the necessary paperwork? Plus I'll be glad to show you around then. Louis, do me a favor and before you leave, print up the applications for me and this lovely lady?"

"You got it, Beau," Louis agreed.

"Thank you, Beau, I appreciate your help very much. I guess I'll see you on Monday then. Bye, Louis," Rosie told them as she exited the gym, glad to finally to escape from the situation and from Beau's roving eyes. She saw the way he had gazed at her and had not cared for it.

As she walked away from the gym, she chided herself, _Real smooth, Reed! You really handled that well! You have got to get it together! Now Beau no doubt thinks you are just another swooning female, like, like Marie, who probably faints every time he walks by her. Well, that's not going to happen with me! No sir, 'Mr.-I'm- hot- and- I- know-it' needs to be taught a lesson when it comes to the subject of women, especially this woman._

This last thought had Rosie regaining her composure and she headed off to the LePages' house in order to get ready for dinner at Dori and Bertrand's home.

Meanwhile back at the gym, Beau grinned as he watched Rosie walk away. As she did, he admired the feminine sway of her hips. Though it was modestly covered, Rosie had a very shapely body. Beau couldn't wait to get his hands on it. If everything went his way, – it always did - he predicted he would get that chance very soon. He rubbed his hands together in gleeful anticipation at the thought.

Pleased with the way everything was going, Beau returned to his workout. As he passed by Louis, Louis noticed that Beau had a rather smug expression on his face.

Louis had watched all of this with a worried expression. He knew all too well what that look meant. He had seen it too many times over the years, not to.

He turned and looked out the window in the direction that his friend had headed and hoped that she would be up to the challenge ahead of her. She would need it with Beau in full pursuit of her now. But Louis knew if any one, who was capable of handling Beau, Rosie was that person.

This thought easing his mind, he returned again to the task at hand – balancing Beau's accounts.

* * *

_What will happen next? Will Beau get his hands on Rosie? Will Rosie be able to resist Beau? Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of 'Everything...'!_


	8. Unwelcome Guest

**Disclaimer - **_Green Eggs and Ham is the property of Dr. Seuss and his estate._

**Unwelcome Guest**

"Rosie, hi! So glad you could make it. Come in and make yourself at home," Dori greeted her friend as she answered the door. "The boys are out right now running last minute errands for me. They'll be back soon."

"Thanks, Dori," Rosie replied, as she stepped inside of the Favres' house. "These are for you," she told Dori as she handed her a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh, Rosie. That was so sweet of you. They're lovely. Thank you," Dori replied, sniffing the flowers. "They smell so pretty. Give me a few moments to put these in a vase. Then I'll give you a tour of our home. Follow me, it's this way to the kitchen. Oh, go ahead and put your purse and coat down on the couch for right now. I'll hang them up later."

Rosie followed Dori to the kitchen through the living room and the dining area. As she did, Rosie was struck at how at home she felt. Dori's house had a very welcoming air about it.

Rosie had first noticed it as she approached the Favres' house, a one-story house – perfect for a young family. How could she not? The outside was painted a cheery butter yellow with white trim and the yard was neatly kept with planters in front of the house with a picket fence surrounding it. Rosie also had noticed a great big tree with a swing attached. She had smiled at the sight, for it brought back memories of her own childhood. There was definitely no doubt about it. A family with a small child lived here.

The inside was no different. Decorated neatly and simply with warm and inviting tones everywhere she looked - the walls, the carpet, the curtains, the furniture - Rosie knew that this was a house that was full of love and life and laughter.

This fact was emphasized by the myriad of family pictures present. As she passed each portrait, each made her smile and - if she was being honest with herself - a little wistful, especially when she looked at Dori and Bertrand's wedding picture.

She too wanted a family and someone to share the rest of her life with. But considering her current problems with dating, Rosie knew that unless a miracle occurred, her status would not be changing anytime soon. She inwardly sighed, her mood dampened for the moment.

But as she entered the kitchen, the feeling dissipated. How could it not when delicious smells wafted all through the room? However unlike the warm tones of the living and dining room, the kitchen was decorated in soft cobalt blue accents and had the appearance of a French country kitchen.

Rosie had to softly giggle at this thought. Was there a more appropriate place for a French country kitchen than in a real French country kitchen? _Probably not_, Rosie thought to herself.

"Dori, I love the way you've decorated your house. It's so cozy and homey, especially the kitchen," Rosie told her. "It smells so good in here that I feel right at home here. I take it that you like to cook?"

"Oh, very much. You can go ahead and set the pie on the counter there. If you've noticed Bertrand's belly, I seem to have quite a talent for it," Dori replied.

"So I've seen," Rosie chuckled at her response. Bertrand was very burly man, but she had seen the beginning of a paunch around his waist.

"As for your comment regarding my home. Thanks, I had some help. Notice anything amiss?" Dori laughingly inquired, fixing the flowers. Rosie shook her head. "It's really not too feminine – well the rest of the house isn't, anyway -, thanks to Bertrand's input – and to some extent, Beau's. The kitchen is my area and so I had the final say about what went in here."

'Ugh! Please, Dori, don't mention _his_ name," Rosie groaned, unfortunately being reminded of her earlier encounter with Beau.

"Problems?" Dori inquired, as she checked how the meal was coming along.

Seeing that everything was right on schedule, she refocused on Rosie. Dori knew from experience that Beau could come on too strong especially around a woman he found very attractive. She could only imagine what he had said or done to Rosie. Noticing the look on her friend's face, she wanted to listen to what Rosie had to say.

"You have no idea!" Rosie replied, rolling her eyes.

"Rosie, you might just be surprised. C'mon, I've found that our couch is the perfect spot for chatting," Dori said.

They headed back to the living room. While Dori did want to show Rosie the rest of her home, she realized – more importantly – that her friend needed a shoulder to lean on.

"Please, Dori, I'd love to see the rest of your home. The less we speak of Beau, the better I feel," Rosie assured her.

Dori, however, was not buying it. She looked at her friend skeptically – one eyebrow raised -, and told her, "Let me get this straight. _You_ would rather tour my house than talk. Huh - uh! No way! Not happening! Spill it, girl! What'd he do?"

Rosie, seeing that Dori wasn't going to budge, laughed, "All right! I'll talk, I'll talk! Where to begin?"

Not skipping a beat, Dori said, "At the beginning, of course! Something must have happened. You were _so_ looking to this day off."

"I _was_ and it _has_ been a good day off…Well, not if you count the run in with the LaFemme sisters and then the encounter with Beau," Rosie replied.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! The LaFemme sisters are included in this, too? You didn't tell me that! What exactly happened?" Dori was intrigued.

"To make a long story short, I went into _La Petite Femme_ because I saw a cute shirt. Did not get a chance to buy it. Reason - Marie was being stupid, I snapped at her, and because of her I had to do a retreat to avoid the ire of her sisters," Rosie explained.

Dori shook her head. "Figures! That is so like her. I don't know why her sisters defend her. Though, despite what I said a few weeks ago regarding the sisters, they really aren't that bad. Well, Michele and Monique aren't. I can talk to one of them for you, if you'd like."

"Thanks, Dori. I appreciate that, but I think I should do that myself. However, you can help me decide whom to approach, Dori. Who's the friendliest or the most reasonable?" Rosie wanted to know. "On second thought, maybe you should come with me as some sort of peacemaker."

After a few moments of pondering this, Dori replied, "I would say most definitely Monique. She's the easiest going – and the sweetest - of the three and is the least likely to hold a grudge. She's your best bet. I'll be glad to help you out, Rosie. Now…about Beau, I want to hear all about what went down between you and him."

"Ugh, do I have to?" Rosie asked.

"Yes! Spill it!" Dori replied.

"If you must insist, then I will," Rosie told her, chuckling at Dori's enthusiasm. Dori _did_ like to talk.

"Okay, I was trying to calm myself when I walked by the gym. Then I remembered that I wanted to see if I could join. I went inside and saw Louis. I asked him about the fees, but he didn't know. So he called Beau, because Beau was there working out. What?" Rosie looked at her friend who had a very knowing _I've definitely seen this before_ look on her face.

"Let me guess the rest of the scenario. Louis buzzed Beau, Beau came out shirtless – because he was working out at the time – and you stood there looking at him and because Beau thought you were admiring him, he flexed and posed. Now, did I miss anything?" Dori finished.

Rosie just looked at her friend, astonished. "How did you know that?"

Dori just shook her head. "Rosie, it's his standard procedure. Beau's tried that with every single women and girl in this town, including yours truly. It's so typical of him. Personally if you ask me, he needs to retire that old routine. But as long as he keeps getting the reaction he wants from a woman, he'll keep doing it."

Rosie groaned when she heard this. It just reaffirmed what she had thought. Given her reaction to Beau, he would be after her until he got what he wanted.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's with the face?" Dori asked.

Rosie looked at her and replied, "Unfortunately, Dori, due to the fact that I haven't seriously dated in a loong time, I had a sorta kinda certain reaction towards Beau."

Dori glanced at her friend. "Rosie, either you did or did not have a response towards Beau. Now, which is it?"

Rosie looked at Dori. Her expression told Dori all she needed to know. "Rosie, you didn't!"

"I did, but…oh, Dori, he looked so good standing there in nothing but his shorts and he was so muscular and so sexy and I couldn't help myself. I made a fool of myself over him and now he probably thinks that I'm completely interested in him. Can I help it if I go for the tall, dark, and handsome type?" Rosie defended herself.

"No, can't say I blame you. I definitely know where you're coming from," Dori commiserated with Rosie. "You mentioned you haven't dated in a long time. So what happened in your love life?"

Rosie didn't get the chance to answer the question because Bertrand and Roy returned home then.

As Bertrand walked through the door with his son, Dori turned and called out to them, "Hey there, handsome. How are my two favorite men in the whole world?"

Before Bertrand could reply, an unexpected voice answered her, "Actually, I feel great. Thanks for asking, Dori."

At the sound of that voice, both Rosie and Dori turned and looked at each other in disbelief. No, it wasn't possible! They then turned in unison, gazed upon the sight of Beau standing in the doorway and then back at each other as if to comprehend this.

Rosie shot Dori both a _Help_ _me!_ and _What is he doing here? _look. Dori reassured her friend with a pat and a glance that said, _Don't worry, I'll take care of this_. Rosie gave her a grateful smile in return.

Dori stood up and walked over to where the two men were standing and said to her husband, "Bertrand, may I have a word with you in private, please?"

Bertrand just looked at his wife, confused. What was Dori talking about anyway? "Um, sure, honey. Beau, give me a second, okay? Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Oh, hey, Rosie! How's it going?"

Beau, realizing that Rosie was here, grinned. This must be his lucky day. Two encounters with her in such a short time. Spotting a mirror on the Favres' entranceway wall, he made a last second check to see if he was perfect – which of course he was.

Satisfied, Beau swaggered over to where Rosie was sitting, and said, "Hey there, gorgeous."

"Hi, Bertrand. Just fine. Hello, Beau."Rosie was helpless as she watched Beau sit down right next down next to her. _Why me_? she thought to herself.

She snuck a glance at him and immediately wished she hadn't. Beau was looking extremely hot right now, especially with his skintight shirt showcasing his sculpted body off very well.

_Just ignore him_, she thought to herself, _maybe he'll take the hint._

Beau grinned as he gazed at her. _God_, he thought, _look at her. She's so incredibly exquisite, so breathtakingly lovely, especially with her hair framing her face like that. She's truly worthy of me. She's got to be mine._

Dori shot her husband a look, then took charge of the situation. "Rosie, Beau, if you'll excuse us for a moment. There's something I need to discuss with Bertrand."

Beau's grin widened. He and Rosie alone at last in a room together? This day just kept getting better and better for him.

Rosie looked at her friend as if she couldn't believe what she had heard. Leave her alone with Beau? What _was_ Dori thinking?

As a response to Rosie's pleading expression, Dori picked up Roy and placed her son between Rosie and Beau, asking her, "Rosie, would you read to Roy, please? I would greatly appreciate it and I know Roy would love it. Wouldn't you, sweetie?"

At the mention of reading, the little boy's face lit up and he clapped his hands. Rosie smiled at this sight and her heart melted as Roy eagerly opened up a book and looked at her expectantly.

She turned to Dori and told her, "That's not fair, Dori. How am I supposed to defend myself against that sweet little face?"

"That's the point. You're not! And as for you, Beau!" Dori turned and addressed him. "You better behave yourself. Got it?"

Beau just looked at her with an innocent _Who, me_? expression on his face. Knowing him better than that Dori just reiterated her position, "Behave yourself! Bertrand, kitchen. Now, please!"

Dori made her way to the kitchen with Bertrand in tow. Beau watched his buddy, and shook his head. As far as he was concerned, marriage had made Bertrand soft. There was no way _he_ could have stood there and taken that from her. That was the difference between the two men as far as Beau was concerned. _He_ never had let a woman take control in any of the relationships he had been in.

_But then_, Beau thought, _when it came to matters of love, Bertrand had always had a weakness for women, especially Dori_.

He truly liked Dori, but he couldn't see how his pal let such a little slip of thing like her order him around like that. As far as Beau remembered, she hadn't been like that before Dori and Bertrand had been married. Apparently marriage had done something to her as well.

When the kitchen door closed, Beau dismissed those thoughts and eagerly turned his attention to Rosie. Finally it was just him and her! Rosie didn't stand a chance against him…not with the reaction he had seen from her earlier.

She would be helpless against his charms. He smirked at this thought. As he did, he heard Rosie reading to Roy. He had forgotten about the little boy. However as far as Beau was concerned, Roy was a mere afterthought. If everything went his way, Rosie would be wanting to send the kid out of the room in a very short time.

Because his mind was focussed on what perfect phrase to say to her to win her over, he was not prepared for the sight that met him. The words that were formed on his lips died as he stared openmouthed at Rosie. It was impossible! This couldn't happen to him.

To his astonishment and great dismay, Rosie was wearing glasses!

Beau sat there stunned for a few minutes, trying to absorb this information. How could she _do_ this to him? Rosie was supposed to be perfect, but this…_this_ changed everything. He wondered if she had to wear them all the time, though he hoped not. It would not do well to have Rosie seen with him if she did.

"You wear glasses?" he finally managed to blurt out incredulously.

Rosie looked up from the book she was reading to Roy. She had forgotten that Beau was there. To her great joy, Roy loved to be read to and she was more than happy to oblige him. It was great to see a child who loved books and she always encouraged them to read as much as they could. Rosie chuckled. She definitely had inherited that from her mother.

"Oh, yes. I have to, but luckily I only wear them when I'm reading or at the computer. Otherwise, I don't worry about them," Rosie explained to him.

Inwardly Rosie thought, _Interesting, but good! Maybe I can use this as a ploy to keep him at a distance since he seems turned off by it._

Encouraged by this idea, she returned to reading to Roy and didn't give the matter a second thought. But when Beau on the other hand, heard this, his mood improved and he confidently smirked. Rosie had no idea that she had given Beau back the upper hand. _He_ would make sure that she would not be seen in public reading or using the computer.

For the next little while, the only sounds that were heard were that of Rosie's voice and Roy's gleeful exclamations as she read to him.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Bertrand was facing a somewhat irate wife.

"Bertrand Pierre Favre, what do you mean by bringing home Beau with you? You knew as well as I did that Rosie was coming here for dinner tonight. And now Rosie is our living room with Beau and with only Roy as a buffer! Both of us know what Beau can do to a girl! Especially if he's interested in her," Dori told him.

"Dori, calm down. You told me Rosie isn't interested in Beau. So, what's the problem?" Bertrand defended himself.

"Well…that was before this afternoon. Apparently Beau tried his trademark move on Rosie earlier on," Dori confessed to her husband. "And with what Rosie told me a little bit ago, well…I think the situation has changed a little bit."

"At the gym? Will he ever give that up?" Bertrand shook his head – not at all surprised at that.

"Not when he gets the response he wants from a girl. We both know that," Dori stated.

However, Bertrand had been surprised to hear that Rosie responded to Beau. "But I thought Rosie…and Belle…and Gaston…"

"Bertrand, Rosie's not Belle. We both know the story and even if she _is_ related to Belle, Rosie is her own person. "But back to my original question – just how did Beau manage to charm his way into this house?" Dori told him.

"How do you think? He wanted to talk for a little bit and when I mentioned that I had to get home for dinner, he just invited himself – like always. Dori, I swear I never mentioned Rosie in that conversation," Bertrand said to his wife.

Dori looked at her husband and knew that Bertrand spoke the truth. She could see it in his eyes. "I believe you, hon. I know how Beau can be sometimes. I just wish that he would learn his lesson sometimes regarding women. He's not like you, sweetie. I'm a lucky girl."

"Do you want me to say something to him?" he asked.

"No, I'll ask Rosie how she feels about it though and go from there." Dori replied.

"You trying to sweet talk me, Dori? Cause you're doing a damn fine job of it." Bertrand leaned down and kissed his wife. "Forgive me then? Whadya say we go rescue Rosie from Beau now? She's probably going crazy right now."

Dori lightly giggled at this. "How could a girl possibly stay mad at you, my big teddy bear! Of course, I forgive you. Yeah, you're right. After all we did leave her alone with just Roy between the two. Not exactly the best protection for a girl – considering it's Beau."

If Dori and Bertrand had only known what happening in the next room, it would have made them laugh. While Rosie was doing just fine, Beau was the one who had the problem. During this time he had grown bored, just sitting there. He hated reading and couldn't see why Rosie was focussing on that book and the small child. He was so much more interesting.

He muttered under his breath and wondered when Bertrand would be coming back out, turning and looking at the door for what seemed to be the hundredth time. He had been in there for a long time. Dori was probably tearing into him right now. He shook his head at this thought. _Poor Bertrand!_

He glanced at Rosie and Roy again, but when he did this time, something struck him about the scene. He sat up, took notice, and started paying attention to the two. As he did, he realized that Rosie had a good rapport with Roy and how Roy responded to Rosie as she read to him.

That got him thinking as he listened to her read to the little boy: _"…I could not, would not on a boat. I will not, will not with a goat. I will not eat them in the rain. I will not eat them on a train. Not in the dark! Not in a tree! Not in a car! You let me be! I do not like them in a box. I do not like them with a fox. I will not eat them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them ANYWHERE! I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.' Then Sam says, 'You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say.' Then he eats them wordlessly."_

Rosie paused and asked the little boy, "How about you, Roy? Do you like green eggs and ham?"

Roy emphatically shook his head and stuck his tongue out as a response. Rosie laughed at the little boy's expression. "I'm with you, Roy. I don't like them either. So it's unanimous, then! But let's find out what happens, okay?"

Roy nodded and looked up at Rosie. He was so adorable that she couldn't help herself and quickly gave him a little hug. Roy grinned at this and snuggled closer to her. With her arm around Roy, Rosie continued on with the story.

Beau, never one to envy anybody, wished that he could switch places with the boy at that particular moment. But as he continued to watch the two, he found his thoughts turning to the future and its possibilities.

_Hmmm_, he thought, _she's obviously great with kids. Especially since she's a teacher. I bet she would be a great mother, especially to my - or I should say, our - kids! _He smirked at this and continued on with his thoughts. _Yep, I can just picture her as my wife –with just one of oh, let's say six or seven kids on her lap. Boys of course. And I just know that with the combo of her and my looks, we're going to have some damn fine looking kids._

His thoughts finished, he confidently refocused on the pair and listened to Rosie reading to Roy.

It was at this time, that the door to the kitchen opened and Dori and Bertrand rejoined them. They too stopped and listened to Rosie finish the story.

"…_'Say! I like green eggs and ham! I do! I like them, Sam-I-Am! And I would eat them in a boat. And I would eat them with a goat...And I will eat them in the rain. And in a car. And in a tree. They are so good, so good, you see! So I will eat them in a box. And I will eat them with a fox. And I will eat them in a house. And I will eat them with a mouse. And I will eat them here and there. Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE! I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you, thank you, Sam-I-am! I do SO love Green Eggs and Ham! Thank you, thank you, Sam-I-Am!'_

"The end. So, how did you like that, Roy?" Rosie asked the boy.

In response, he clapped his hands and said, "Read it again! Read it again!"

While Rosie laughed at this, Dori smiled and said, "No, one time is enough for now, honey. Maybe later at bedtime. Rosie, can I see you in the kitchen?"

"Sure, Dori." Rosie was surprised to hear this request. She stood up and handed Roy to his father, but not before giving Roy a quick kiss and hug again. "Such a cutie. Makes me want to have kids. Here you go, Bertrand."

"Thanks, Rosie." He nodded at her and both Beau and Bertrand watched the two women go into the kitchen.

As he watched Rosie walk away, Beau again wished that he could have been Roy a few seconds ago. However the story that she had read to Roy had not been lost on him.

_You SAY you're not interested, Rosie, but just give me a chance like that, you'll find out that you won't be able to get enough of me!_ He smirked at this thought.

As he did, Bertrand looked at him and wondered what was going through Beau's mind. _Whatever it is_, he thought, _it can't bode well for Rosie_.

"You wanted to talk to me, Dori?" Rosie asked her friend, back in the kitchen.

"Rosie, would it bother you if Beau were to stay for dinner? If it does, we _can_ ask him to leave," Dori told her. "It's just that he has a rather annoying habit of doing this all the time. Just showing up and expecting things to be done for him. It's happened all his life."

"So I've been told," Rosie replied.

She turned and looked back towards the door, pondering what she should do. It was obvious that Dori felt bad about the situation. Rosie didn't blame her or Bertrand. It was Beau that she was mad at, but…

"Rosie, what shall I tell him?" Dori's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Rosie turned back to her friend. Dori had an anxious look on her face as she waited for her answer.

"He can stay, Dori. I know I'm gonna regret this, but he can stay. Besides I think I'm pretty safe here. I don't think he would do anything with you two around," Rosie told her, with a shake of her head. "You two are my safeguards, all right?"

"Okay, either Bertie or I will switch seats so that you won't have to sit by Beau, then. Don't tell Bertrand I called him Bertie. He doesn't want that to get out around town," Dori giggled.

"Gee, I wonder why! Thanks, Dori," Rosie replied, chuckling. "You're a pal!"

"No problem! Let me just check on a couple things and then I believe we can eat," Dori told her.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Rosie asked.

"Actually, yes. Would you go in there and tell the boys dinner is ready?" Dori responded, as she did a few last minute details. "I'd really appreciate it!"

"I'm already gone!" Rosie laughed, as she made her way into the living room.

"Gentlemen," she told them, as they turned to face her. "Dinner is served!"

* * *

**_A/N _**- _Finally at long last, Chapter Eight is up! It normally doesn't take me this long to post a chapter, but sometimes life throws you a curve that you're not expecting. For me, it was my grandfather - my beloved 'Gramps' -passing away recently. So you can understand why it took me this long to finish this chapter._

_Now on to a much happier topic! Thank you to everybody who reviewed my last chapter. Normally I would respond to each one of them, but there was a undeniably unanimous theme running through them. Yes, I'm referring to'shirtless and glistening' (SAG) for all you Gastonians and other BATB fans - you all know who you are! ;)_

_Let's hear it for SAG! Yay,SAG! And don't worry, there'll be more SAG to come! ;) _


	9. Getting to Know You

**Getting to Know You**

"Okay, that's the last thing on the table. Let's see. Have I forgotten anything?" Dori asked as she surveyed the scene.

"Not as far as I can tell, hon," Bertrand said to her, enveloping her in his arms and giving her a quick kiss. "Judging by the smell, you've done it again. I really owe you one, Beau. You really missed out when you passed Dori by…and for _that_ I'm forever grateful." He turned to Rosie and told her enthusiastically, "Best cook in the village! Ask anybody!"

"Bertrand, please!" Dori protested, the slightest hint of a blush on her face, but Rosie could tell that she enjoyed it. "Stop that."

Rosie smiled and laughed at the two, but inwardly she was wistful. It was obvious that Dori and Bertrand were very much in love with each other. She would give anything to be in their or Brad and Kat's place right now. Where was _her_ special someone?

"That's enough now," Dori told her husband. "Our dinner is getting cold."

"Definitely don't want that to happen!" Bertrand told her in mock horror. "Don't know about you, but I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry, hon!" Dori laughed at him. "Sit down please, everyone."

As she did, she noticed Beau heading straight for the seat next to Rosie. Before he could sit down, Dori said to her, "Here, Rosie, why don't you take my place between Bertrand and Roy, and I'll sit by Beau."

"Thanks, Dori." Taking Dori's suggestion, Rosie sat down. She too had seen Beau making his way directly to the chair besides her. _Boy, that was a close one_, she thought, relieved. _I really owe Dori! _

Still standing there, Beau was speechless. Mere seconds away from victory and he was denied!

"Beau, are you just going to stand there all night? Sit down and join us," Dori told him.

Beau sat down in a trance, still trying to figure out what had just taken place. But he quickly regained his bravado, when he realized that Rosie was sitting across from him.

_Time to impress h_er, he thought, smirking. _Nice try, Dori, but_ _once Rosie gets a taste of me, she'll be unable to resist me._

He was about to say something to Rosie when he heard her say, "What a lucky girl I am to have such a charming and oh so handsome dinner companion as you."

_See! She's coming around already_, he thought confidently. _This is gonna be so easy!_

"Why, thank you, Rosie! And may _I_ return the…comp…li…ment?" He halted, astonished, when he realized that Rosie had not been addressing him, but Roy!

In silent disbelief for a few minutes he watched her interact with Roy, trying to comprehend what was happening. He had to admit that Roy was a cute child, and he could see why Rosie was paying attention to him. Plus he could see that she had a way with kids because of the way Roy responded to her. However Beau was confused about one thing. Hadn't she _just_ spent time with the kid? Therefore Beau concluded, it was time for Rosie to focus on him now.

Meanwhile Dori and Bertrand looked on with amused expressions on their faces. Beau's frustration was very evident to them both and they found it funny, because Beau never had to work this hard to get a girl before. It usually took only one of his dazzling smiles and it was over - they were his, but not Rosie!

Dori gave Bertrand a lookthat said, _This time it won't be so easy for Beau, will it_? He nodded in agreement.

After a few minutes had passed, Roy was still captivated by Rosie and interrupting her dinner. Graciously, Rosie took the time to reply to him – which frustrated Beau even further.

Roy didn't settle down until Dori told him, "Roy, let your poor Aunt Rosie eat her meal in peace, please. She'll be here for nearly a whole year. She's not going anywhere anytime soon."

Roy looked to Rosie for reassurance. She had to laugh at his forlorn expression at first. A beaming grin replaced it when she told him, "Your _maman's _right! I'm going to be here in Molyneaux for quite some time."

"Forever?" Roy hopefully asked her.

"No, not forever, Roy, but don't worry. I'm here for ten months. That's a long time," Rosie told him.

She had to laugh at Roy who immediately began trying to figure out how long that was, time wise. He endeared himself to her even more when he asked her with such a serious face, "Will you still be here when I'm grown up?"

Rosie chuckled at Roy and told him, "No, but I'll still be here at Christmas and I'll still be here for Easter-"

"You'll be here for my birthday!" Roy excitedly exclaimed, then turned towards Dori."_Maman_, she'll be here for my birthday!"

Dori tenderly smiled at her son's reaction, and said, "Yes, she will, won't she?"

"When's your birthday, Roy?" Rosie asked him.

"March third. I'll be four!" he told her proudly, holding four fingers up. "Can you come to my party, Auntie Rosie?"

"Whoa! Hold up there, little man," Dori told him, laughing. "Your birthday is a long way off. How about we wait until it gets a little closer, all right?"

"It's all right, Dori," Rosie told her, chuckling. "Wow, four! You're getting to be a big guy. As for your birthday, Roy, I wouldn't miss it for the world! It's a date then!"

Upon hearing this, Roy beamed, and Beau gritted his teeth. Rosie should be saying that to him, not to some three-year-old. This was _not_ happening to him, of _all_ people!

After a few minutes, Roy asked, "Auntie Rosie, will you be here for my next birthday, too? I'll be five then!"

He looked so ecstatic about the thought that Rosie hated to tell him otherwise. As gently as she possibly could, she told him, "No, I'm afraid not, Roy."

Rosie had never seen a child's face fall so fast.

He looked so heartbroken that she told him, "But Roy let me tell you something though, that I think that might cheer you up a little bit. Although I'll be leaving, I'll be here until the beginning of summer, Roy, and we'll be able to celebrate my birthday, too. Would you come to my birthday party?"

At the sound of this, Roy perked up considerably, and he nodded happily, "Uh-huh. When's your birthday, Auntie Rosie and how old -"

"Roy!" Dori interrupted her son. "You never ask a lady her age. It's considered impolite."

"It's all right, Dori," Rosie told her. "He didn't mean any harm. Roy, to answer your questions, I'll be twenty-six on May the seventeenth."

Beau looked at Rosie and calculated out their age difference. She was three years younger than he was – a perfect age gap for a husband and a wife. And if she was staying for ten months, that would be more than enough time for him to convince her to that he was her perfect match. He grinned at this – Rosie would have no chance against him for that amount of time. She would be helpless, completely helpless.

He was going to say something, when Roy piped up, "Auntie Rosie, after ten months is up, if you like it here, will you stay forever?"

Rosie laughed at Roy, and told him, "I can't give you the answer to that just yet, Roy, but how's this? How about I give you the answer to that at the end of my stay here? Does that sound good to you?"

Roy nodded at that, "Uh-huh, Auntie Rosie!"

Watching this exchange a smirkingBeau thought, _Don't worry, kid_. _If I have to anything to do with it, she will be here forever! And when she decides to stay, you'll have me to thank._

Satisfied with Rosie's answer for the time being, Roy refocused on his meal.

Seeing his chance, Beau said to Rosie, "You obviously have a way with kids, but it's time that you focus on someone far more interesting - like me, for example! I'm sure a beauty like you wants to find out all there is to know about a handsome fellow like myself, don't you?"

Rosie was conflicted on how to answer. Part of her told herself, _You've seen guys like him before and know what will happen. He'll ramble on and on about himself, if given the chance, so…NO! DON'T do it._ The other part rebuked her, You_ DON"T know that. Maybe he won't. Just give him a chance. After all, he's probably NOT that bad._

Rosie, being polite, decided on the latter. She told Beau, "You're right."

"I am?" Beau asked, pleasantly surprised to hear this from Rosie. _Yes, of course I am_, he told himself, _I'M always right!_ _She's learning THAT fairly quickly, which means she's coming around on me. _

Rosie laughed, "Of course. Everyone deserves a turn. That's one of the important lessons I try to teach my students – to share and take turns. Or least I try to. There _are_ a few exceptions to the rule, but for the most part they're all good kids." Rosie shook her head, chuckling. Smiling she said to him, "So Beau, why don't you tell me a little about yourself."

Beau's eyes lit up when Rosie said that. Finally she was going to learn about the magnificence that was him.

"Well," he told her. "Earth became a more perfect place on August 9, 1976."

"Oh," Rosie inquired. "Is that your date of birth?"

"Yep, I'm a Leo. As I was saying – that's the day I decided to grace the world with my presence and it hasn't been the same since! Do you know that the nurses told my parents that I was _the_ most beautiful baby they'd _ever_ seen- and the healthiest? Won quite a few awards for that, as well as for most handsome child. My parents still have them up with all my other trophies and awards," he told her. "But I'll save that for later on in my bio. Back to me as an infant. I weighed in at over 10 pounds when I was born-"

"Over ten pounds!" Rosie gasped, shuddering. "Ooh! Ouch! That must have hurt! Oh, your poor mom!"

"Tell me about me about it!" Dori added, agreeing with her. "Roy was seven and a half pounds when he was born and _that_ hurt! I can only imagine the pain is like when delivering a baby who weighs that much."

Frowning because that they were getting off the subject – _him_ - Beau continued on, "Well, it's been said that after I was born, Mother decided not to have any more children for that reason. They were very pleased with me – and why shouldn't they be? I mean – look at me! But personally I'm of the opinion that they only had me because I'm so perfect they didn't need another child!"

He paused and grinned at Rosie, then continued on with his story. Rosie, not knowing what to do, weakly laughed and then glanced over Bertrand helplessly. Bertrand gave her an apologetic look and mouthed, _Sorry! _Rosie half-smiled in response to show that she didn't hold him responsible.

Beau missed this little interchange because he was so focussed on telling his life story. "Anyway, my childhood was perfect – like me - growing up. Of course when you're the only child of the wealthiest people – and _the_ most important - in town, who own most of Molyneaux, you get used to the finer things in life. I didn't lack for anything. I got everything I wanted and I_ always_ get what I want!"

He looked at Rosie as he said this, grinning at her. Rosie weakly smiled back.

Satisfied Beau continued, "I had the best of everything, and that made me the most popular guy in town because people are naturally drawn to a person such as myself. Who could blame them? I have the looks, the money, the talent, the ability, the charm, and the knack for running a business – inherited that from my father. My gym is one of the most successful places in town!"

"He's right. It is but a lot of the credit should go to Louis, too," Dori whispered to Rosie.

"What about your schooling, Beau?" Rosie asked. She had noticed that Beau had said nothing about his academic history.

"Pfft! School…What a waste of time!" Beau scoffed. "I only went because I _had_ to. Given the choice I wouldn't have gone at all. There's more important things in life than books-"

"I'm sorry, but I can't agree with _that_!" Rosie interrupted. Beau looked at her sharply as if he couldn't believe that someone had dared to disagree with him. Rosie continued, "Speaking as a teacher, I believe that getting your education _is_ very important and dictates how far you'll go in life. I encourage kids to read and to keep learning."

Beau gazed at her, inwardly thinking, _Ooh! You're a feisty one, aren't you? I'm gonna enjoy pursuing you, _but instead shrugged and said, "Maybe other people do, _I_ don't need it. But we're getting off the subject – ME! Besides with my other talents – such as my good looks - who needs it? Speaking of my handsome appearance, did you know that I've done some modeling? So far I've only done a few shoots, but once my picture circulates I'll be in full demand! I mean…LOOK at me!"

"Yes, I can see why. You are very handsome," Rosie told him. As she did, she brushed a wayward lock of hair away from her face.

"Thank you, Rosie," he told her, taking her gesture to mean that she was flirting with him. "But that's not all! I'm far from done. I've won numerous regional body building contests, plus I've actually competed at both Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe. Should have won those both, but they _had_ to go with someone else. Because let's face it, they couldn't handle the magnificence that is me. And then of course there's my rugby playing skills!"

"Oh, rugby!" Rosie was glad for the change of subject. "Hmm…I'm not too familiar with that, but isn't it almost like football…American football, I mean? Some of my friends back home played on the varsity football in high school and they were quite talented-"

"Humph! American football is for wusses! All that padding! There's no padding in rugby at all!" Beau sneered, both jealous and startled to hear about Rosie's guy friends. "Rugby is a _much_ TOUGHER and _much_ MANLIER sport than that of American football! Now, as I was saying-"

"Uh, Beau," Dori broke in, noticing the annoyed look that was on Rosie's face. She gently chided him, "Thank you very much for all that info, but I think you overwhelmed poor Rosie. After all this _is_ a dinner for Rosie. We haven't heard anything about her yet. Rosie, please why don't tell us a little more about yourself. We know you're a teacher and the only child of your parents back in where was it? What, Beau?"

Dori glanced over at Beau who was scowling at her. He couldn't believe she had had the gall to interrupt him, especially when he was trying to impress a woman. Dori, not at all intimidated, just gazed back at him and told him, "You know I'm right, Beau! You had your turn. Please give Rosie a chance – that's all I'm asking!"

"But…" Beau started to say.

Quickly thinking, Rosie told Dori, "This dinner is absolutely delicious, Dori. I've never had pot roast this tender."

"Thank you, Rosie," Dori replied. "If you want, later I'll tell you my secret. By the way, thanks for your help. Guess I overestimated myself."

"No problem, Dori," Rosie replied. "It's an easy mistake to make. I find I do that some times, too."

After informing the men dinner was ready, Rosie had come back into the kitchen only to find that Dori had needed an extra set of hands. Between the two of them, they had made sure that everything was on the table for dinner.

The other three adults looked at Rosie funny when she started chuckling for no reason.

"Rosie, what gives? Let us in on the joke," Dori asked her.

"I'm sorry, guys. But I just was thinking about how Beau and Bertrand went for the pot roast. It reminded me so much of back home."

"Yeah, sorry about that, Rosie," Dori replied, giving the two men a withering glance. "They usually know better than that, or they should."

Under her scrutiny, both Beau and Bertrand could only give abashed grins in response and concentrated on their plates.

Rosie laughed at their reaction because it was so familiar to her. How many times had she or Kat glared at Brad and Ian when they had done the very same thing?

She explained it to the rest of the group. "Anyway, the reason I was laughing was that it reminded of me of Ian and Brad back home. They do exactly the same thing. You've got to be pretty fast because between them, they can devour a whole pot roast between them, like that!" She snapped her fingers. "So if anybody else wants to eat, they've got to get to the meal before those two do."

"Ian …and …Brad? Who are they? Former boyfriends?" Beau demanded, jealous at the mention of these names. It was obvious that they meant something to Rosie.

"Oh no!" Rosie laughed. "Ian McKendrick and Brad VanBuren are my oldest and closest friends back home in Fairfax, Oklahoma. I've known them since I was seven. Those guys are more like family to me than anything else."

Hearing this Beau was somewhat appeased by it, but not completely. There must be more to their relationship than Rosie was letting on. No guy could just be a friend with a girl who was that gorgeous, especially if he was good-looking. He was determined to find out all about these two men – his rivals.

Beau asked her, "Do you have any friends that _aren't_ guys?"

Rosie replied, "Sure I do. I have quite a few female friends, but I find that I can relate to guys a lot better. Call it a result of my childhood. In both the neighborhoods I grew up in, the ratio of boys to girls favored the boys so I found myself hanging out with the guys. They were way more fun to be with because I wasn't into the dolls and all that girlie stuff. Given the choice, I'd rather be outside playing with the guys than playing dress up. I was a complete tomboy who was totally into sports – only girl on the youth baseball and basketball teams back home - and loved it. Still am to a point, but being a girl is so much more fun sometimes."

Hearing this, Beau was silent for a moment, thinking about what Rosie had said. He was used to flirtatious and adoring women, but Rosie was neither of those. She was confident and independent, but still very feminine. That combination intrigued him and he wanted her even more as he thought, _Never thought a tomboy could be so sexy._

After a few seconds, Beau started to say something else, but he never got the chance.

Realizing where Beau could be going, Dori wisely forestalled him. "So Rosie," Dori said to her. "We know about you, but please tell us more about your friends and family and your hometown."

Rosie began to tell them about her hometown and the people who were dear to her heart. "Well, Fairfax is a very small tight knit community just like Molyneaux, but it's a little bit bigger – around 1,500 people. It's about two hours from Oklahoma City and about an hour from Tulsa. I love it there. Been my home ever since my family –just my mom and dad and I - moved there when I was seven. I love big cities, but at my heart I'm a small town girl.

"Besides Ian and Brad, there's Kat – short for Katrina - Brad's wife, and my closest gal pal. We've known each other since grade 10 in high school. Everyone who knows us calls us 'The Quartet'," Rosie laughed. "We're that inseparable when we're together.

"Then there are their families. First there's Ian, my best friend. We go way back. He's a firefighter-"

"I thought of being a firefighter once," Beau interrupted. "But then I realized that burns can leave scars, and that's too much of a risk. It would be a crime to let anything happen to a face as gorgeous as this!"

Rosie stared at Beau for a moment, and then continued on, "He's an ex-Marine as well. Then there's his kin. His mother is like a second mom to me. I just love her so much! In fact she jokes that I'm the daughter she never had. Ian's the oldest of six boys and he's very responsible. He has to be. His father, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty about four years ago, so Ian had to become the man of the house. He's very protective of his family, and those very close to him, including me. You do not want to cross him. He's a very good man to have around. I trust him with my life."

"I'm sorry to hear about your friend's father, Rosie," Dori told her. "That's such a shame."

"Thank you, Dori. He was a very good man. We all dearly miss him," Rosie responded. "As for Brad – another guy who I completely rely on - and Kat and their families, I love them all very much. Brad's a carpenter and Kat's a beautician and works in a salon. They and their families are all more like one big extended family to me."

Dori heard the slightest bit of homesickness in Rosie's voice, and commented, "It sounds like you're really close with them. I bet you miss them a lot, huh?"

"Yeah, I do," Rosie replied. "But luckily there's the Internet with email and instant messaging to keep in touch with them. If you come to the LePages' home, I can show you pictures of my friends and family. But enough of me! Tell me about you and Molyneaux. Fairfax is only about 100 years old, but I assume that Molyneaux is much older than that."

"Oh, yes. Molyneaux has been in existence for quite some time, for more than two and a half centuries, if not longer. Most of the families who live here can trace their roots all the way to the original inhabitants," Dori explained. "Including Beau's, Bertrand's, and my ancestors."

Rosie observed a very curious thing as Dori was telling her about Molyneaux and its families. She had noticed that Beau had become tense for a few seconds. Rosie was intrigued but since no one else had seemed to catch it, she decided not to mention it.

_Hmmm…I wonder why Beau did that?_ she thought to herself.

Dori continued on, "My parents own the restaurant here-"

Bertrand interrupted her, telling Rosie, "That's why she's such a wonderful cook. Inherited it from her parents."

"Thank you, Bertrand, but I think Rosie knows that already," Dori retorted. "May I continue, please? Thank you. Anyway, I'm the youngest of three kids and the only daughter. I worked at _Le Bistro_, until Roy was born and then I decided to be a stay-at-home mom."

"I hope that I'll be able to do that when I have kids, though with the family network I have, it won't be necessarily a bad thing if I can't," Rosie told her.

_Believe me, Rosie,_ inwardly Beau thought, _that won't be a problem when we get married_. _You'll definitely be a stay-at-home mom if I have anything to say about it._ Out loud, he said, "My wife _will_ stay at home with the children. After all, I'm the man and _I'll_ be the bread winner for my family."

Rosie just looked at him in disbelief and then focussed on Dori. Dori just shrugged. Where _did_ this guy come from? The 1950's or even worse, the 18th or 19th centuries? His attitude was unbelievable.

Quickly glancing at her husband affectionately, Dori told her, "Luckily I can because Bertrand is a mechanic at the local repair shop and gas station, which his parents own. He's the eldest of three kids and the only son."

"You would get along with Brad and Ian then, Bertrand," Rosie told him.

"Why?" he asked her. "Do they like cars, too?"

"Yes, and they are so totally into cars, it's not even funny," she said. "I know a little bit about cars-"

"But you're a _woman_! Women aren't supposed to know anything about cars! It's not feminine!" Beau broke in. "Me, personally. I don't care how cars run, as long as I have an impressive set of wheels - and I do! My Porsche is..."

Irritated, Rosie retorted, "And what's wrong with that? There are plenty of women who know quite a bit about cars. As for myself - I'm quite capable of fixing any minor car problems, thank you! However I'll admit it's only thanks to my dad and Brad and Ian. So when those two get together and start talking cars – they can go on for hours - that's when Kat and I go off and have a girl's day or night out."

Dori looked at her husband and told Rosie, "I know how that is! Believe me, Rosie, I know!"

Rosie giggled at her friend's reaction.

"And your…friend lets his wife do that?" Beau asked incredulously. "Just go off without permission and without him?"

"Oh no, Kat always lets Brad know when she's going out and he does the same," Rosie explained to him. "Brad and Kat trust each other very much. Plus he knows that when she's with me, we're not going to do anything wild and crazy. We're both pretty sensible."

"Well, MY wife isn't going to do that!" Beau declared.

_Then I pity the poor woman who becomes your wife!_ Rosie thought.

She turned back to her friend and said, "Dori, maybe you can help me with something?"

Dori replied, "Sure, Rosie. What is it I can do for you?"

Rosie pondered this a little bit before she continued the conversation. _How to phrase this? _she wondered. "It's about Louis-"

"Louis? Why do you want to know about him? How about focusing on someone more interesting…like _me_, for instance?" Beau interrupted her. "Do you know that I'm the most eligible bachelor in Molyneaux and one of the most eligible in all of France?"

"Really? I…didn't…know…that," Rosie told him, struggling to be polite. "How…very…interesting!"

Seeing that Rosie need some help, Dori came to her assistance, "Yes, Beau. We know. You're the only son of wealthy parents who own most of Molyneaux and all the girls are clamoring to marry you because of that and your handsome looks. Have I forgotten anything? Good. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but you've already had your turn and Rosie was asking a question. Go ahead, Rosie. You were saying about Louis."

"Well, it's just that he's so shy and hesitant to tout his accomplishments. Which is fine because I'm not really into braggarts, but he should be really proud of what he can do. It's just I didn't get a sense of that when we were writing to each other, so I was surprised when I met him in person," Rosie clarified.

"That's from his upbringing, Rosie," Dori told her. "Both of his parents are mild-mannered and reserved, too. His father's an accountant."

"So that's where he inherited it from!" Rosie said. "He's really good with numbers, isn't he?"

"Yep," Bertrand told her. "My father and I depend on Louis to do our books. We trust the LeFiable name."

"Yes, he does my parents' books for that very same reason, as well as everyone else's. LeFiable is a very well respected name in Molyneaux," Dori agreed. "Plus his mother is a teacher at the same school you'll be at, Rosie. Aside from Mme. Deniaud, Louis's mother is the next longest tenured teacher there."

"Perhaps she'll give me a little more insight into Louis," Rosie pondered. "If he's so well thought of in Molyneaux, you can't tell it by his demeanor at all."

"I think that would be your best bet, Rosie," Dori agreed with her, getting up and clearing some of the dishes away. "As for Louis, he is very humble _unlike_ some people we know." She glanced at Beau fondly as she said this, rubbing his head playfully as she passed by him.

"Dori, don't touch my hair!" Beau snapped at her. "I just spent an hour time getting it just perfect and you're mussing it up!"

"And we definitely wouldn't want that! Why it would be the end of the world," Dori replied, teasingly. "Honestly, Beau, with all the products that you use, there's no way to ruin that coif you call your hair."

"All right, that's enough, you two!" Bertrand interjected. "Do I have to listen to this yet again?"

"For your sake, hon, I will, if Beau does," she conceded, looking at Beau. "Truce, Beau?"

Beau glanced at Dori and then Bertrand, who had a no-nonsense look on his face. "Yeah, truce for now."

Both Dori and Beau looked at Bertrand who nodded his approval.

Dori, seeing that her husband was satisfied with the situation, asked, "Now who's up for dessert? It's strawberry-rhubarb pie, courtesy of Rosie."

"I am!" Bertrand said to her, rubbing his hands and licking his lips in anticipation. "Been waiting for this all day!"

"I know _you_ are, hon, but I was asking everyone else, silly!" Dori replied. "Roy I know is a yes and Rosie is…Rosie! Just what do you think you're doing? Put those plates down immediately!"

Startled, Rosie paused at what she was doing and glanced up at Dori. "You don't want me to help?"

Dori told her, "I appreciate the thought, but you're a guest here. Please sit down. I insist."

Rosie told her in reply, "It's really no trouble at all, Dori. I don't mind."

Seeing that Rosie couldn't be deterred, Dori said, "All right then. You can grab the dinnerware – if everybody's done – and a couple of the main dishes. We'll leave the rest until after dessert."

Between the two of them, Dori and Rosie quickly cleared the table and made their way to the kitchen.

As they prepped dessert, Dori said, "Rosie, I want to apologize for Beau's conduct tonight, but that's how he operates." She sighed. "Like I told Bertrand tonight, I wish he would learn his lesson when it comes to women, but most women fall at his feet when they see how gorgeous he is and that only validates his behavior."

"Please, don't blame yourself, Dori! I don't hold you or Bertrand accountable. If anyone should apologize, it should be Beau! I mean…" Rosie shook her head. "Was I supposed to be impressed or turned off by his behavior? Come on! Those viewpoints of his are so old fashioned."

"Thanks, Rosie, but I feel I must warn you though because Beau will do whatever it takes," Dori advised her. "I would say more but there's a certain guy out there who's been looking forward to this pie all day. I don't think we should keep Bertrand waiting any longer, do you?"

"Nah, Bertrand's a decent guy," Rosie winked at Dori, giggling.

Dori giggled back and said, "Come on, Rosie. You can take the pie out there and I'll take the plates and ice cream."

Within a few moments, they rejoined the others in the dining room.

"Hello, boys! Did you miss us?" Rosie jovially asked, as she set down the pie on the table. Bertrand's mouth watered as he gazed on it. "Oh, Bertrand, thought I'd let you know. I gave Dori the recipe for this, so you don't have to depend on me for your pie fix!"

On hearing this, Bertrand grinned ear to ear. "Thanks, Rosie! Hear that, Dori! You can make this anytime for me now!"

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Rosie! Just what I wanted – to make this pie for Bertrand all the time. Maybe you should take the recipe back, " Dori teasingly told her.

"No!" Bertrand nearly yelled.

"Hon, I'm only joking," Dori affectionately told him, kissing him on the forehead. "Now who wants pie and ice cream?"

A chorus of "I dos!" filled the air. Dori and Rosie quickly dished up the dessert and passed it around to every one at the table. When they were done, they too sat down and began enjoy the pie. Silence filled the room as everyone was focussed on eating.

Beau, not one for eating desserts, had decided to try it only because Rosie had made it and Bertrand has enthusiastically endorsed it. To his pleasant surprise, he found out that his buddy had been right. The pie was delicious.

As he ate, he kept an eye on Rosie. Unaware of him watching her, she was focussed on the others, laughing and accepting their compliments for the dessert. Again, his thoughts turned to the future.

_Hmm_, Beau thought_, it appears that not only is she gorgeous AND great with kids, it appears she's an excellent cook, as well – another thing in her favor. Wonder if she's a good housekeeper? Probably is! That does it! She's got to be my wife! Course she's playing hard to get right now – a challenge, yes, but I thrive on challenges - and once she gets to know me, she'll change her tune real fast. _

He watched Rosie for a little bit more, admiring her and smiling at the thought that she would be his one day. While he was doing thisa thought came to him and he couldn't help but wonder about Rosie'sstatus

_How is that she is still single? _he thought. _I'm not complaining or anything, because it works to my advantage- and hers. However it just doesn't make sense that someone like her is alone like this, but I'll remedy that real fast if given the chance._

Beau couldn't stand it anymore and he blurted out, "So tell me, Rosie. Why is a pretty thing like you not married?"

"Beau!" Dori admonished him. "What kind of question is that? Rosie, you don't have to answer that if you don't want."

"It's all right, Dori," Rosie replied. "Besides correct if me if I'm wrong, but didn't you want to find out the very same thing just a little bit ago?"

Dori sheepishly smiled at her, "Oh, yeah. I did, didn't I?" She noticed Beau smugly grinning and couldn't resist a shot at him. "But then _I'm_ not the one who's attracted to you, Rosie, am I?"

Not about to let that go by, Beau was about to respond, when Rosie said, "It's all because of a certain Frenchman who goes by the name of Jean-Claude DeVincent-"

"_DeVincent?_" Dori and Bertrand interrupted her in unison, clearly taken aback by the name. They looked at each other stunned, trying to come to terms with this revelation.

Rosie was surprised at their response, but was not prepared at all for Beau's response to it.

"_DeVincent! How…I…hate… that…name!_" Beau snarled.

He was so incensed that it took Dori calling his name repeatedly to snap him out of it. When she had successfully done so, Beau slowly cooled down and nonchalantly acted like nothing happened. However the damage had been done. Everybody had seen Beau almost bend his fork in half.

Slightly wary about Beau's reaction yet still curious, Rosie made a mental note to herself to ask Stephan about the tale later. Why _did_ Beau despise that surname? Perhaps the answer would reveal itself in time.

"Yeah, well get in line, pal! There's a whole group of us who aren't exactly too fond of it either," Rosie wryly retorted, dwelling on the hurt that Jean-Claude caused her.

The other three adults were caught off guard by the bitterness in Rosie's voice. For the next few seconds, silence filled the air, as no one knew what to say.

After a few moments, Dori finally spoke, "Rosie, I too know how it feels to have your heart broken, but the pain will pass. Trust me."

"Thanks, Dori. That's what I keep telling myself." Rosie half smiled at the rest of the group. "Sorry about that, guys, but he's still a sore spot with me and those who are close to me – _especially_ my father, Ian and Brad." She sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get over him."

"You will and someday you'll meet the right guy," Dori assured her. "Who knows, you might know him already," she added, thinking of Ian.

Seeing such a perfect opportunity, Beau grinned. _I can always depend on Dori_, he thought. _Yeah, Rosie, you don't have to look any further because that guy – ME – is right in front of you!_

He opened his mouth in order to charm Rosie, but never got the chance. As he did, Dori shot him a warning glance to say, _Don't EVEN think about it! _Seeing this, Beau wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Wouldn't that be great? But considering it's been five years I really don't see when or how or even if my luck's going to change with men anytime soon," Rosie replied morosely, being realistic.

Hearing this, Dori's heart went out to her friend. "Five years? Oh, Rosie! You must have really loved him if it's been that long then."

"I did," Rosie told her, thinking back on better times. Despite herself, she smiled and began to reminisce.

"He was my first real boyfriend, my first true love. I'd gone out with a few guys in high school and my first couple years of college, but nothing really serious like what I had with Jean-Claude. There were sparks right away when we met in Paris at the Sorbonne – where I went to school for the year I was over here. It was love at first sight!"

Rosie sighed longingly. "How could I help but fall in love with him? He was every girl's dream - so handsome and dashing and romantic and so worldly. The more I got know him, the more I fell deeper in love with him. Plus the fact that he was majoring in literature just enamoured me to him even more. I thought he was the perfect guy and thought we had something special. At one point, being so young - I was 19 or 20 at the time- I really thought he was _the_ one. I just _knew_ that he was going to propose and that we would spend the rest of our lives together…but unfortunately real life decided to rear its ugly head and I found out that Mssr. Perfect was anything _but_.

"Hardest lesson I've ever had to learn. Turns out that he was two timing me and even more humiliating when I learned that _I_ was considered the 'other woman' by his other lover! That was bad enough, but when I confronted Jean-Claude, he didn't even deny it and what was worse that he seemed even cavalier about the whole thing. Well, _that_ was the final straw and I broke up with him right there. I thought I would get over him quickly, but alas it was not to be!"

"Ooh, ouch! Reality _can_ be cruel. No wonder you haven't dated in a long time. If that happened to me, I'm not sure I would do anything different," Dori said, sympathetically.

"Five years later and I'm still hung up on him, which seriously affects my dating," Rosie shook her head in disbelief, then sighed again.

"How so, Rosie?" Dori inquired.

"It basically boils down to four simple words – smart woman, foolish choices," Rosie replied. "I just can't seem to get it together. I've dated - rather hesitantly- since Jean-Claude of course, but when I do, it's unsuccessful. My longest relationship since then with someone was less than six months. I liked the guy, but we realized that we were better off as friends. Still are, actually. The rest were less than a month or couple of dates at the most.

"Reason being I'm always attracted to the wrong guy or the right guy who's unavailable. This normally would not be a good thing, but luckily I have two great guys looking out for me. If not for them and my dad – and other friends of mine - I generally would have given up on men altogether a long time ago," Rosie stated, with a small smile.

"Sounds like you have very supportive family and friends back home," Dori said

"I really do, especially Ian," Rosie affectionately smiled as she thought of him. "We've known each other for so long that I can't imagine him _not_ in my life."

As she heard Rosie speak so warmly of Ian, Dori recognized that Rosie might have feelings other than friendship for him. She might not know it now, but Dori had a feeling that Rosie would come to realize it later on down the road.

Dori wasn't the only one who had noticed this. Beau was scowling as he heard Rosie speak so fondly – _too_ fondly, he thought- of Ian. He didn't like this at all, one bit. This could possibly put a huge obstacle in his path to pursue her. The last thing he needed was some unseen guy coming between him and Rosie. Because things had been going his way, or so he thought.

At first when she had mentioned DeVincent's name, Beau wasn't sure that he wanted to hear about him, but that had quickly had changed when he heard the bitter tone in Rosie's voice. While Rosie had been telling the others about Jean-Claude, he had been thinking about what an ironic twist of fate this was. Beau smirked at this reversal of roles. DeVincent was the bad guy in this situation, whereas Beau had the chance to come out of this as the hero and avenge Gaston. There was no way he was going to let this choice opportunity pass him by.

He was so lost in thought, he didn't see everybody else get up from the table until he heard the chairs scrape the floor. This jarred him back to the present. He stood up and glanced at Rosie as he heard her say, "I feel just like how Roy looks."

Beau looked at the little boy. Roy was yawning, and nearly falling asleep in his mother's arms.

Dori chuckled, "Yeah, I think we all feel the same way. It's been a long day for all of us. Bertrand, will you put Roy to bed for me so I can say goodnight to Rosie?"

"Sure, Dori." Bertrand nodded and took his son from his wife. "C'mon, pal. Time for you to go to B-E-D."

Roy despite his sleepiness, protested, "No…don't …wanna …Not…tired….", before slowly drifting into dreamland.

"Sure, you are," Bertrand chuckled at his son, before heading off to put Roy down for the night. "Goodnight, Rosie."

"Good night, Bertrand." She turned to Dori and asked, "Is there anything else I can do before I leave?"

"Nah, thanks for that offer, Rosie, but I think I can handle it," Dori assured her. "Thanks for coming. We really enjoyed having you here. We should do this more often."

"Oh, I'd like that!" Rosie replied. "By the way, Dori, thanks for letting me blow off steam. I really needed that."

"Anytime," Dori told her, handing Rosie her coat and purse. "I _do_ know how it was to be single once. But Rosie, don't give up, you'll find _him _one of these days."

"Thanks, I'll try to keep that in mind," Rosie smiled at her friend. "Goodnight, Dori. Good night, Beau."

She turned and was heading out the door when Beau's voice stopped her. "Wait, Rosie. I'll walk you to your car."

"Oh…well, thank you, Beau. That's very gentlemanly of you," Rosie smiled at him. "See you tomorrow, Dori."

"Good night, Rosie." Dori watched as Rosie and Beau head down the steps. As they did, she shook her head and thought, _Oh, Beau, will you never learn?_

When they reached the car, Beau turned to her and said, "You know, you've never taken me up on my offer for that very personal and _very_ private tour of Molyneaux. So I was thinking…How about Friday night, say sixish? You and me? I figure we'll start with dinner at _LeBistro _and then see where the night takes us. So how about it?"

Not expecting this, Rosie was startled to say the least and was speechless. Was Beau _actually_ asking her out on a date? Couldn't he tell she wasn't interested in him?

"Well?" She looked at him and saw that he was eagerly awaiting her answer, with that smug-looking smirk on his face. Rosie slightly grimaced at the sight. That particular expression of his was beginning to get on her nerves very quickly. Did he ever just smile _normally_?

"Oh…um…well…" Laughing weakly, Rosie hesitated with a feigned smile and wondered how she was going to get out of this. "You know, Beau, as flattering as that sounds, this week is _not_ a good week for me. The first few weeks of school are very hectic and I need to focus my full attention on that right now, especially since I'm the new teacher here and all. So…"

"That's a yes, of course. Right?" Beau asked her. "Good. Then I'll pick you up Friday at around six."

Rosie's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe it. Had he not heard _anything_ she had said just now?

"Excuse me, Beau," Rosie told him. He looked at her directly, grinning all the while. She wanted so much to wipe that smirk off his face. "I don't think you heard me the first time. Considering that I won't have any spare time in the next few weeks, I think I'm going to have to _decline_ that offer for the time being. Maybe later on, but _not _right now."

Beau's smirk disappeared when Rosie's words sank in. He stared at her in disbelief. Did Rosie just turn him, _him _of all people, down?

"You're joking, right?" Beau asked her.

Rosie looked him straight in the eye and told him, "No, I'm afraid I'm not, but thanks for asking anyway. Well…goodnight, Beau."

As Beau tried to come to terms with what just happened, Rosie got in the car and drove away leaving him standing there staring after her. This state only lasted a few seconds, and then Beau shook it off.

_It's only a temporary setback, _he told himself, _she's just playing hard to get. She'll come to her senses eventually_. _They always do and I'LL be there waiting for her when she does._

Since harmony had been restored back to his world, Beau returned to the house pleased with himself.

* * *

**_A/N _**- _Whew! Done! Here finally at last is my latest chapter. Sorry for the delay, folks, but when I started this, I had NO idea how long this would take. You can blame it - and the length - on my characters, especially Beau! He wouldn't shut up! Does anybody have a gag or something to that affect, btw? LOL! But seriously, the next chapter will not take this long, I promise ( and hope!)! Before I get to the reviews, I want to say thanks for all your condolencesfor the passing of my grandfather.I greatly appreciated them. Also, thanks to the BATB MSN writers and workshoppers,(you all know who you are! ;)) your input for this chapter wasgreatly appreciated._


	10. Tale as Old as Time

**Tale as Old as Time**

"How was your evening with the Favres?" Celeste asked as Rosie joined her and Stephan in the living room.

"Very nice, Celeste," Rosie replied. "Bertrand and Dori made me feel very welcome in their home, which I loved. It's so warm and cozy."

Celeste chuckled, "Dori's responsible for that. She's quite the interior decorator. You should have seen the house before she and Bertrand got married. Such a typical bachelor pad. She did wonders with that place."

"She did a remarkable job then," Rosie answered. "It's so inviting and it's a perfect house to raise a family in. Reminds me of my friend's childhood home. If it's anything like Ian's was, then Roy's a lucky boy. Not to change the subject, but, Stephan," she turned to him. "Will you tell me the tale of the princess? After tonight's events, I'm even more intrigued about it now."

"Certainly, Rosie," he told her, curious about what had transpired. Even Celeste had an inquisitive look on her face. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened over at the Favres?"

Rosie just shook her head and replied, "Beau happened!"

"Beau? I thought Dori just invited you for dinner tonight, Rosie," Celeste inquired, a puzzled look on her face.

"She _did_," Rosie explained to her hosts. "But Beau crashed the dinner uninvited and proceeded to take over the conversation. It took Dori telling him that it wasn't all about him, for me to get a word in edge wise. He never knows when to call it quits, does he?"

"Unfortunately, not really, but none of his peers call him on it except Dori. She's the rare exception. As for the older generation, we really pay him no mind," Stephan replied. "But enough about Beau – this doesn't have anything to do with him. Please continue on, Rosie."

"Well, in a way it does. The way he reacted to some of our conversations made me want to learn about the story of Belle. When Dori mentioned that the majority of the families here in Molyneaux could trace their roots to the original families, I noticed that he tensed up a little bit." Rosie noticed that Celeste and Stephan glanced at each other quickly, but continued on, "But it wasn't until I mentioned the name of Jean-Claude DeVincent -"

"_Jean-Claude DeVincent?_" Stephan and Celeste gasped in unison. Rosie looked at them, knowing that she would again have to tell the tale of how she knew him.

"Pardon me, Rosie, but how is it you know that name?" Stephan asked.

"It's simple really. I dated him when I was over here as a foreign exchange student." Rosie turned to Celeste and told her, "Remember during the tea, I spoke about a Frenchman who broke my heart. Well, that Frenchman was Mssr. Jean-Claude DeVincent."

There was stunned silence when she finished. Both Stephan and Celeste were speechless, trying to comprehend what they had heard.

After a few seconds, Stephan finally spoke up, " My dear, if you were romantically involved with Jean-Claude, then you are more deeply connected to the tale than I thought and have every right to hear it."

"Before you do tell Rosie the tale, Stephan, I believe that there's something else that Rosie should be aware of," Celeste told her husband.

Rosie was curious. What _was_ Celeste referring to?

She turned to Rosie, and sympathetically told her, "It's only fair to let you know that there is a slight possibility that you might see Jean-Claude again-"

"WHAT?" Rosie half-yelled, startled to hear this.

This was not what she wanted to hear. In fact that had been the last thing she had wanted to hear. It was hard enough just to talk about him, but to see him again when she was still not over what he had done to her heart, Rosie wasn't sure if she could handle seeing that…_that_…two-timing good for nothing lying cheating son of a….

"Rosie?" Celeste asked, interrupting her thoughts. She had become concerned when the expression on Rosie's face grew stormy. "Is everything all right?"

"I'm just thinking of the past," Rosie told her. She shook off the way she was feeling, grateful to be focusing on her hosts. "Forgive me my state of mind, Celeste and Stephan. It's just that I'm a little despondent when it comes to my love life. It's a long story that happened five years ago and what it comes down to is that I'm still not over him. So the thought of seeing my ex again is not exactly great news." She sighed, and ran her hand through her hair, saying, "Truthfully, I don't know if I'll _ever _get over him." She looked at them, gave them a small smile and said, "But don't mind me. Please continue on, Stephan."

"Oh, Rosie, I didn't realize that you still had feelings for him," Celeste told her. "If I had known that would have upset you, I would have never said anything to you. I just thought that you would like to know that there's a small chance you might see him again. He and his staff sometime visit Molyneaux in late spring or early summer."

"It's all right, Celeste. After all you didn't know," Rosie assured her. "I actually appreciate the forewarning. In fact I'm glad you told me. I can only imagine what my reaction would be – not a very pretty one, I might add – if we were meet on the street."

"A wise judgement, " Stephan said, nodding his head. "But Jean-Claude rarely appears in Molyneaux when he stays at his ancestral residence. His household staff are the ones who we really deal with the most and welcome when they come to Molyneaux-"

"His household staff?" Rosie interrupted. "You mean Henri, Mrs. Potter, Montgomery -or Monty- and Cheri? Do they still work for him?"

"Ah, so you do know them!" Stephan exclaimed. "Yes, all four are still under service to the DeVincent household."

_Well, that was SOME consolation_, she thought. If she _had_ to see that double-dealing creep again, at least she would also get to see his servants, whom she'd become fond of. She did look forward to seeing _them_ again.

"Who could forget those four!" Rosie smiled. "I got to know them when I was invited to Jean-Claude's parents' home. They were very welcoming, especially Mrs. Potter, and I became very fond of all of them. That was the biggest downside when I ended the relationship- not seeing them again. I really miss them, _especially_ Henri and Monty's bickering, so it will be good to see _them_ again at least, if it should happen. But now, tell me about the tale surrounding the princess…"

"Certainly, but before I do. I'm curious about one thing, though. How did Beau react when you mentioned that name?" Stephan inquired. "Not too well, I gather."

"Not too well is an understatement," Rosie answered. "I've never seen anyone get that angry over a name so quickly – well, besides my dad, Ian, Brad, and myself. In fact Beau almost bent his fork in half, he was that agitated about it. Why?" she asked, when she saw Stephan nodding his head knowingly.

"There's a reason for that, Rosie. Basically, Jean-Claude's ancestor, Prince Christophe DeVincent, and Beau's ancestor, Gaston Laroche, were rivals for Belle's affections, and Gaston did not come out the winner – much to Beau's, and the rest of the Laroches', everlasting chagrin. Which is why he hates that name. But I'm getting ahead of myself here," Stephan chuckled. "I'd better start this tale with Christophe's birth because that's the origin of this whole story.

"Well, it all began when the prince was born about two and half centuries ago. The king and queen rejoiced because they had a son. It was a happy time for all when the birth of the prince was announced," Stephan told Rosie.

In turn she grinned, captivated by this real life fairy tale and eagerly awaited the next segment, not expecting what she heard.

Stephan continued on with the tale: "But alas the celebration did not last long, for the queen died that very evening, and soon the king followed her, devastated by his loss and dying of a broken heart. The servants raised the infant prince after his uncle refused to, deeming it not his place, but that of the household staff. The three who were mainly responsible were Lumiere, the head valet, Cogsworth, the majordomo, and Mrs. Potts, the housekeeper. And so they raised him, catering to his every whim and humoring him all through his infancy and childhood and early adolescence. This resulted in the prince becoming very selfish, spoiled, and believing he was the center of the universe. After all, who was going to correct him? Certainly not the servants who could face imprisonment or banishment or even death, if they dared to disagree with him.

"This continued on until one fateful winter's evening, when a beggar woman came to the castle only wanting shelter and offering a rose in exchange. The prince turned away the old woman twice, even disregarding a warning from her. After the second time he shunned her, the woman's true identity was revealed as a powerful enchantress. Seeing this Christophe quickly begged for forgiveness, but the damage had already been done. And as a fitting punishment, the prince was placed under a spell and turned into a ferocious and hideous beast. The servants also suffered the same fate and were turned into objects. At first, it seemed they were to destined to stay that way for eternity, but it was revealed that if a young woman fell in love with the Beast – and he with her – before the last petal fell from the rose, then the enchantment would be lifted - "

"Wait a minute! Did this really happen?" Rosie suddenly interrupted Stephan. She looked at him skeptically and continued on, saying, "Or are you pulling my leg? I mean humans don't normally turn into a beast and enchanted objects just like that." She snapped her fingers. "Are you sure about this?"

Stephan chuckled at her, and replied, "I know it sounds farfetched, Rosie, but take my word on it, this really and truly happened. And as for how I know this, I will tell you at the conclusion of this story. You have my word on that.

"Now where was I? Ah yes, the Prince had been transformed and was given the conditions to the spell, along with an enchanted mirror, but alas, the Beast hid himself away from the world and no travelers came to the castle. The years passed and soon the Beast became more despondent and withdrew even more, as the time grew shorter. It wasn't until Belle showed up looking for her father, that everyone in the castle became hopeful that she could break the spell-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you again, Stephan, but I'm confused," Rosie told him. "If no one ever came to the castle, why was Belle's father there? You said no one ever came to the castle."

"Forgive me, Rosie, I'm getting ahead of myself! I tend to do that when it comes to this tale." Stephan said to her. "It's not very often that I get to tell this story. You are probably wondering how Belle and her father came to the castle and what events lead them there? Let me see if I can recall this correctly…

"A year earlier Belle and her father, Maurice had arrived in Molyneaux. Right off the bat, both were deemed as strange and oddities – Maurice for being an inventor and Belle, for just simply reading. I don't have to tell you that it was considered inappropriate for a woman to read back then. So Belle, because of her hobby, was lonely in the village, having no company except that of her father – and one very persistent and unwanted suitor, who went by the name of Gaston Laroche, the most popular man in the little village.

"You see, the moment Gaston spotted Belle when she arrived and was introduced to her, he was determined to have her for his wife, being that she was the most beautiful girl in the village and he was the most handsome man. So he pursued her relentlessly, but Belle had other ideas – she wanted adventure and romance far away from this little village – and did everything she could to let Gaston know that she was not interested in him or in becoming his wife.

"One day when Maurice was away, traveling to a fair to test out his latest invention, Gaston came calling and proposed to her, certain that she would be his wife, but to his surprise, Belle turned him down. This only made him more determined to marry her, but Belle wasn't concerned with that just yet. For not too soon after that, Maurice's horse returned home riderless, much to her dismay.

"Determined to find out where her father was, she found herself in front of a huge castle, the very same one that Maurice had encountered, and entered this same castle, and discovered that the master of the castle – a beast - had imprisoned her father because he had trespassed. Maurice, on his way to the fair, had gotten lost and wandered into the castle, hoping to find shelter, but found himself in a living nightmare. In exchange for Maurice's freedom, Belle agreed to take his place, and the Beast let Maurice go.

"And so began the relationship between the Beast and Belle. Not a very good start, I'm afraid. But while the Beast viewed Belle as a prisoner, the servants welcomed Belle, and always hoped that she might come to care for the Beast and finally be able to break the spell that they had been under for so long. It was the servants, mostly Lumiere and Mrs. Potts, who gave her comfort and helped her to make the best of a bad situation.

"After a few mishaps and misunderstandings, over time – and the servants' assistance - Belle and the Beast's feelings began to change and they started getting closer and closer to each other. With Belle's help, the Beast became more genteel and more civilized. As the days passed, the staff watched with eagerness, always hopeful that the two would fall in love and the enchantment lifted.

"It was on one such evening, after dinner and dancing, that the Beast tried to confess his feelings for Belle, but could not after he saw how much she missed her father. He let her see the mirror and Belle realized that her father was not well. Despite knowing what would _not _happen if he released her, the Beast was touched and let Belle go free, much to the dismay of the servants.

"Belle hurried to save her father and soon after they arrived home, they were greeted by a mob there to take Maurice away because he was considered crazy – a plot thought up by Gaston. Gaston told Belle maliciously that she had a choice: Marry him, or see her father locked away in a madhouse for the rest of his life.

Belle refused him again and in turn revealed that there _was_ a Beast. In doing so she inadvertently revealed that she had feelings for the Beast.

"Incensed at this latest rejection, Gaston whipped up the mob into a frenzy and they headed towards the castle with the intention of killing the Beast. It was a race against time for Belle and Maurice as they tried to warn the Beast of the impending danger.

"But when they arrived, it seemed like it was too late. For although the servants had defeated the mob in a fierce battle, Gaston was about to kill the Beast, who was despondent over losing Belle, and taunted him cruelly. However when Beast saw her, he was renewed and fought off Gaston with the tide turning in favor of the Beast. At one point, the Beast had the upper hand and was about to kill him, when Gaston begged for mercy. He let him go and was about to be reunited with Belle, when Gaston stabbed the Beast in the back, which caused Gaston to fall to his apparent death.

"The two were finally alone, but it was not under happy circumstances, alas. For when Gaston stabbed the Beast, it was a mortal wound and the Beast died. Belle was heartbroken and tearfully told him that she loved him, just before the last petal fell from the rose. The servants, who had quietly witnessed all this, were crushed, for the Beast lay dead before them and the spell had not been broken. They were cursed to be objects for all eternity.

"All seemed hopeless until a miracle occurred! Before their eyes and Belle's unbelieving ones, the Beast was transformed into a human again. After a few moments passed before Belle realized that the man who stood before her was her beloved Beast, everyone was returned to their human forms. The enchantment had been finally lifted and all rejoiced."

"Oh, how romantic! It's like a fairy tale come true," Rosie sighed, enraptured by the whole story. Stephan smiled at this. She then inquired, "What happened to them then and what about Gaston? And how is it that you know all this?"

"Wait a minute, Rosie! You're going a mile a second! I can only respond to one query at a time!" Stephan told her.

Rosie grinned sheepishly. Stephan laughed. "To answer your questions, Belle and Christophe were married soon after that and lived in relative peace for the remainder of their days along with their three children and faithful servants and their families. With Belle by his side, Christophe was a very benevolent ruler and was highly respected until the day he died. When they both passed on – Christophe first, then Belle later - there was great mourning throughout the kingdom over the great losses.

"As for Gaston, he survived the fall, but he never returned to Molyneaux again. For woodsmen discovered him on the bank of a river – he had landed in the river and unconscious had been swept downstream a good distance from Molyneaux. Then he was taken to the closest village, where he fell in love with and married the local beauty, the town's doctor's eldest daughter, who had nursed him back to health. At first because of the severity of injuries, it was thought he would not survive, but it being Gaston, he not only recovered, but also regained his full strength.

"Gaston and his bride went on to produce a fine family – I believe they ended up with seven sons – and Gaston became of the town's most popular and influential citizens, just as he had been back in Molyneaux. Despite all this, he did not fully recover from the humiliation of losing Belle, and often brooded about it – especially when it was announced through the countryside that the prince had returned and chosen a bride, who turned out to be Belle, of _all_ people. He kept it to himself until the day he died and no one dared question him about it – not even his own wife.

"In fact there is another legend regarding this story. It is said that when Gaston died he swore on his deathbed that his spirit would never rest until a descendant of his married one of Belle's descendants. And so he has for almost two centuries. There have been countless sightings of his ghost walking the streets of Molyneaux throughout the years.

"As for the villagers of Molyneaux, they mourned Gaston, because he never came back from that raid on the castle. He was given a hero's farewell, because they believed that he had died in the process of killing the Beast. Three generations passed on before a Laroche returned to Molyneaux. It was then revealed that Gaston had survived the fall. There were questions about why Gaston had not returned to the little village, but the great-grandson of Gaston only revealed that Gaston had fallen in love with a beauty from the village and had chosen to stay there. The truth is that Gaston was so humiliated by his failure, that he felt like he could never show his face in Molyneaux ever again – especially when Christophe ended up marrying Belle – therefore he didn't.

"So as you can see there's a very good reason why Beau acted the way he did tonight and why he doesn't want the whole story told," Stephan told Rosie, shaking his head all the while. She looked at him quizzically, trying to understand what Stephan was telling her. Seeing this Stephan explained, "Remember Andre's response on the first night you came to the village? How nervous they were in the tavern when I mentioned the story?" Rosie nodded. "There's a reason for that. The Laroches are very powerful people and this to them is considered a dark secret, a stain on their image. And since no one here wants to provoke the Laroches and get on their bad side, this tale is rarely ever told or talked about. Or if it is, they just mention how great Gaston was and how incredibly brave he was and how foolish Belle was not to see that."

Rosie just stared at Stephan for a few moments and then said disbelievingly, "They care _that_ much about the fact that their ancestor got rejected?"

Stephan shrugged and replied, "And defeated. But that's the Laroche family for you in a nutshell. They've always been obsessed with family pride and reputation. Been that way ever since Gaston was a small boy. He learned his ways from his father, Auguste Laroche, and unfortunately that trait has been passed down through countless generations. Frankly if there was a humble Laroche descendant, I'd be surprised."

Rosie pondered something, and then with an anxious look, asked Stephan, "Then how is it that you know all this and do the Laroches know you know this? And if so, aren't you worried about it?"

Stephan smiled, "I appreciate your concern, Rosie, but don't worry about this old timer. The reason I know all this is because I also happen to be Molyneaux's historian, as well as the owner of the bookstore. And yes, the Laroches _do_ know that I know this." Rosie's eyes went wide. Stephan chuckled, and told her, "However there's no need to be afraid for me, Rosie. After all, I've known this tale for many a year, and no harm's come to this old coot yet. Like I said that they're big on image. Their standing would suffer if it were known that any Laroche threatened a well-respected citizen, such as myself. Besides the Laroches somewhat fear me because I do know the complete story and don't want it told, and therefore don't threaten me for that reason."

"Then what is the version that Molyneaux knows?" Rosie asked.

"That Belle didn't want Gaston, but there's no mention of her rejecting him at all. As far as everyone here knows, the story is Gaston killed the Beast because the town thought he was a danger. Gaston fell off the tower in the process and was proclaimed a hero to this village. As for Belle, she caught Christophe's eye, who returned after a lengthy absence, and married him since Gaston had died. As far as they knew, Christophe had nothing to do with the Beast. Always the focus is on Gaston and his heroic exploits, never on Belle. And for over two centuries it has been that way."

"All this is amazing! So tell me how is it that you know all this information?" Rosie inquired, intrigued. "I mean, how do you know all the different sides of the story? I don't mean to seem rude, but if you've lived here all your life, then how could you know all the perspectives – especially Gaston's, if he didn't return to the village?"

"A very astute question, and not at all rude, Rosie," Stephan remarked. "It's really all a combination of a quite few things. First for Christophe's perspective, a descendant of mine – by the name of Webster – was a servant in the castle and he recorded the events along with a few other servants. As for Gaston's side, that's part of Molyneaux's history. The Laroches are one on the premiere families here. As for the legend of the ghost and Gaston's deathbed vow, there is a reason why I know this particular fact. There is a journal that one of his servants kept at the time of his death, which I have. I acquired it many years ago. Plus there have been many accounts of the ghost throughout the centuries. I have those as well.

"Finally there's Belle's point of view. She ended up writing her memoirs and presented one copy to the kindly bookseller, which has been passed down for years and is now in my possession. When you have time or if you have time you can read them if you wish," Stephan chuckled. "I keep all three here in our house in a safe location to keep them protected as they are important documents dealing with Molyneaux's history."

"I'd love to, Stephan. They all sound fascinating, especially Belle's," Rosie replied. She paused and considered something for a moment, then asked, "Is the fact that I look like Belle the only reason that Beau's attracted to me, because his ancestor didn't win Belle's heart? Maybe it's just a coincidence that I look like her. I may not be even related to her at all."

Stephan spoke up, "Rosie, I'll admit that it might be part of the reason, but I won't say it's the main factor in Beau's decision to pursue you. After all you are a lovely young woman in your own right, if I may so, and he must have fallen under your charms." Rosie blushed at the compliments. "As for Belle, you must be in someway connected to her. There's no other explanation because your resemblance to her is so remarkable. I don't know how you couldn't _not _be a descendant of hers. Have you had your family tree ever researched?"

Rosie answered, "No not completely, but my dad recently retired, and he started getting into genealogy and our family history." Stephan nodded. "He's not gotten very far, just to my great-grandparents. But he did tell me that there is a possibility that some of our ancestors are from around here."

"So you being related to Belle is not out of the question, then." Stephan told her.

"It would be very interesting to find out that I was related to royalty," Rosie replied. "In fact, I think that I'll see if Dad has been able to find out any more information about our family tree before I turn in. Good night to you both, Stephan and Celeste."

"Goodnight to you, Rosie," they replied.

Rosie smiled and then headed down the hallway to her room. As she did, her thoughts turned to the story she had heard and all the information she had learned.

_Hopefully Beau won't be that persistent when it comes to me,_ she thought. _I'm attracted to him, it's true. But I have no intention of starting a relationship with him or anybody for that matter. The faster I can make him understand that the better._

Rosie felt better as she entered her room, but she couldn't silence the voice in her head that said, _You're just foolin' yourself, Reed, if you think you're not going to get involved with him. You know what will happen simply because he is incredibly handsome! It's always the same old story. You know it and I know it. So just face facts and deal with the inevitable._

Rosie tried to ignore this, but she knew in her heart that the voice was right, and groaned as the truth hit her hard. _Why me?_ she thought to herself as she sat down and turned on her computer, hoping to get her mind on anything else than what she had been thinking.

* * *

**_A/N _**- _Yes, I'm back and I've FINALLY updated after all this time! Woo-hooo! Here's a lesson that everyone can learn from: Never tell yourself that a chapter will be easy to write and you'll have it up in no time, cause it most likelywon't be and will backfire on you. _

_Starting now, I am NOT making any promises on my future chapters. Let's just say that they'll be up when they're up. LOL! ;) __As for the reason, it took me so long to finish this chapter...I bought a house this summer, and was busy with that, as well as having lots of company. I'm in my house now, so the chapters will be up faster now._

_Okay, let's get serious now. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter and likes it, too! As for responding to the reviewers from last chapter, I'm just going to say thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Oh, and it was a blast to write! My apologies on keeping people waiting for this chapter (you all know who you are!).Hope you think it was worth the wait._

_Finally, special thanks to TrudiRose for betaing my story and offering suggestions, as well as the rest of the BatB crew. You all rock:)_


	11. School Days

**_A/N _**-_ And she finally updates! Sorry bout that. It took me a little longer than I expected. Anyhow here's my latest chapter at long last. For all those who were waiting so patiently, your wait will be rewarded - it's an extra long chapter. So hope you all enjoy it and thanks to all those who have read and reviewed. Is much appreciated! Thanks to TrudiRose, who is an awesome beta-reader. Couldn't have done it with out you. Also thanks go out to the BatB workshoppers - I appreciate all the help. Enjoy!_

**School Days**

_Reed, you can do this. There's no reason to be nervous at all! After all, this is your what… fourth first day of school? So you're an old pro at this. No need to worry,_ Rosie tried to reassure herself. But standing outside of the classroom waiting while M. Berger was announcing her to her students was, she had to admit, more than a little nerve-wracking.

_Yeah, but this…This is a whole different ballgame, Reed, _another part of her was thinking._ You're not in Oklahoma anymore! You're in a whole different country and a whole different system. In order to be accepted, you'll have to earn both your colleagues' AND your students' respect...not to mention the parents' as well! Face it, Reed, you're way in over your head._

"…your teacher, Mlle. Reed. Mlle. Reed, your class. Mlle. Reed?" Rosie was so into her thoughts that when M. Berger opened the door and spoke to her, she was caught off guard and was startled.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, M. Berger. I-I didn't hear all of that," Rosie stumbled on her apology, mentally cursing herself. _Way to go, Reed. Now he really must think you inept! _"Would you please repeat that?"

Hearing some apprehension in her voice, M. Berger glanced sympathetically at Rosie, knowing all too well how she was feeling. Realizing that she might need some words of encouragement, he closed the door after asking one of the students to watch the class.

"Of course, Mlle. Reed," M. Berger said with a smile, trying to comfort her. "I was merely introducing you to your class and vice versa, but if it's any consolation to you, I know exactly how you feel right now. I was in the same situation many, many years ago. It can be a pretty daunting task – coming to a new school – but I have faith in your teaching ability. Your credentials and your commendations from your colleagues speak volumes regarding that, as well as your way with children. You'll do just fine."

"Thank you. M. Berger, for your kind words and boost of confidence," Rosie told him. "I feel a little better. Guess it's just a little case of the jitters." She looked at the door, took a deep breath, and said, "Well, I guess I really should meet my class and start them on the path of learning. I can't do that from out here, can I now?"

M. Berger was about to reply when they heard a commotion inside the classroom. Startled, both Rosie and M. Berger looked at each other and went for the door. Rosie reached it first and opened it up to see a rather large for his age black-haired boy towering over a bespectacled dark brown-haired boy who was cowering before him.

Rosie frowned at the sight before her and shook her head. Of all the things to start her school year, this would _have_ to be the first thing she would have to deal with!

Rosie couldn't stand bullies and always spoke up whenever she could. She herself had been lucky, having never been bullied– thanks in part to Brad and Ian – but she knew too well how it affected a person. She had had to comfort one of her friends after a particular episode, and for that reason was always sympathetic to anyone being bullied.

Making her mind up to set this right, Rosie stepped forward only to realize that she had no idea what the boy's name was. She knew the names of her students from the list that she had received, but she didn't know what name went with this student. She hesitated, turning around and looking at M. Berger for assistance.

M. Berger had no such obstacle, being that he was quite familiar with the boy, and let his feelings be known, in a rather loud and strict tone. "M. Guischard, are we trying to set a record for being sent to the principal's office on the first day of school? Please tell me we aren't."

The boy addressed as M. Guischard blinked at this and his focus was taken off the student he had been picking on – much to the relief of the other boy. He glanced at the principal with a little bit of defiance in his face and Rosie noticed that the boy looked very much like Beau. She wondered how they were related and then groaned inwardly at the thought of having to deal with both of them for the entire time she was here.

Beau was a handful by himself, but two of him? Just her luck! At least mini – Beau would not be pestering her about a date. Glancing at him again, Rosie judged him to be a year or two older than the rest of his classmates. Probably a result of being held back a grade or two. She hoped that he wouldn't be too much of a distraction, but dealing after Beau, Rosie knew that was too much to ask for.

M. Berger ignored the boy's look and continued on, "Besides, Laurent, is this anyway to make your new teacher feel welcome? Class, may I introduce Mlle. Reed? Mlle. Reed, your class."

At the mention of her name, Rosie felt twenty pairs of eyes focus on her. She smiled at them, hoping her cheerful façade hid her nervousness. However it did not help her state when her class fell silent at the sight of her. It was like her first night in Molyneaux all over again. For a few moments there was absolute stillness.

Rosie knew she had to break the tension. She breathed deeply and told herself, _You can do this, Reed, _then said to her students, "Bonjour, class. Welcome to _Cours Elementaire_ 2. I'm sure you're wondering about me. So let me tell you a little about myself. I came all the way from America – from Oklahoma - to teach here for the year. I'm very excited to be here in France and to be your teacher! I hope we'll learn a lot together."

M. Berger smiled as he watched the young teacher for a few minutes. As he did, he noticed that she grew more and more confident and comfortable as she spoke. Seeing everything was fine, he took his leave of the class, waved to them – but gave a warning glance to Laurent - and smiled encouragingly at Rosie. Rosie smiled back and then M. Berger was gone.

As M. Berger walked down the hallway to his office, he had no doubt that Rosie would do just fine. She seemed quite capable of handling a class that size and was not at all tolerant of bullying. Plus, he had a feeling that most of her students would love having her for a teacher and be well behaved.

However, he couldn't help wondering if she would be able to manage Laurent Guischard and all the distraction he would bring to her classroom. M. Berger hoped that Rosie would be up to the challenge, but she looked so young and untested. After all, Laurent was a very trying student and tested even the most patient person – a fact that the principal knew all too well.

At the thought, M. Berger just shook his head. Laurent, unfortunately, was already showing signs at such a young age of being an exact replica of Beau. He groaned remembering all the chaos and trouble Beau had caused. Just what Molyneaux and its school system needed …another Beau!

Feeling a headache coming on at this very notion, M. Berger continued down the hall in the hopes that he had some aspirin handy in his office.

Having finished taking the attendance and knowing now what name belonged to what face, Rosie looked at her class in front of her. She was relieved actually, having only stumbled on only one last name out of all of the students. They were all sitting quietly waiting – all except Laurent, she noticed, who was squirming in his seat - for her to continue on.

Rosie thought for a few moments about what she could do to break the ice with her class. She thought about telling them a little more about herself, then dismissed that idea. The kids probably didn't want to know everything about her. Besides she was here to teach, not promote herself.

She pondered for a few more seconds about what could she do that was both fun and knowledgeable and help both students and teacher learn more about each other.

Then it came to her – ask the kids about their summer vacation! Or more importantly, what they'd done on their break. Rosie realized that could be informative and educational as well as a way for them to get to know each other. Plus then they wouldn't have to worry about having to write the typical "_What I did on my Summer Vacation…_" essay.

"Okay, class," Rosie told them. "I'm sure you're all very familiar with the summer vacation paper." A chorus of groans arose from the students, affirming Rosie's thoughts. She smiled in response to this, and said, "Well I thought we'd do something else instead of that." Cheers erupted throughout the classroom. Rosie ignored them and continued on, "To help me get to know you better – I mean, I know your names and ages and where you go to school – and visa versa, I thought we could share what we did on our summer break with the class. When everyone's done, then I'll tell you what I did. How does that sound?" Rosie heard murmurs of approval. "Now who wants to go first?"

She was pleased to see a number of hands shoot up. Rosie scanned the room and decided to let Denis, the boy who Laurent had been picking on, go first.

Rosie smiled and pointed at Denis, giving him permission to speak. Beaming, he stood up and started to say something when a loud voice interrupted him: "Who wants to hear about the geek's summer when they could be listening to what _I_ did! Besides MINE is so much better and way _cooler_!"

The rest of the class grew silent and Denis sighed and sat down, slightly frowning. It wasn't fair. Why did Laurent always get his way? He hadn't even raised his hand, but that was just like him – and just like his family - to do that. No doubt that he would get his way this year too.

Seeing that he had the undivided attention of the class, Laurent began to tell them about his summer. "Well, of course, you know that my aunt and uncle have their other house on the French Rivera? Well that's where we spent most of the summer. It's huge with a pool and all this cool stuff. I had a blast! It was so totally cool! Of course Beau was there as well! He's so cool and let me hang out with him and that's not all! Guess what else? We-"

"Laurent!" Rosie finally interrupted him. "Please sit down."

Hearing Mlle. Reed call his name, Laurent glanced at his teacher, confused. Why was she interrupting him and why was she telling him to sit down? This wasn't what was normally supposed to happen – not to him, at least.

"Why?" he asked challengingly. "The class wants to hear what I did this summer. Right, everyone?" He looked at the rest of them with a slightly menacing stare.

The rest of the students just meekly nodded, much to Rosie's dismay. She wasn't happy at all about the way things were proceeding so far. First Laurent bullying Denis and now Laurent speaking out of turn. Rosie knew that in order for her to gain the respect of her students, she would have to be firm with dealing with Laurent.

Pleased with the response, Laurent continued, "So I'm telling them what I did – just like you said! Why shouldn't I?"

Arms folded across her body, Rosie just looked at him and simply replied, "Because it's not your turn, Laurent, it was Denis'. I don't recall giving you permission to speak – I called on him – and, besides, you didn't have your hand up. I guess after everyone shares what we did during our summer, the next thing I'm going to have to go over is the rules in my classroom, thanks to you."

The rest of the class groaned on hearing this, and more than a few withering glances were aimed in Laurent's direction. Laurent looked around at the rest of his fellow students and wisely decided not to say anything else, lest he made the class angrier with him.

Seeing that Laurent wouldn't be disrupting the classroom any further for the time being, Rosie chose to refocus the attention of the class back to sharing their summer vacations. She smiled at Denis, and said, "So Denis, will you please tell us what you did for your summer?"

Realizing that he wouldn't be interrupted any further, Denis grinned and stood up, and said, "Well, I was fortunate enough to go to science camp and let me tell you, I had quite a good time. I made a number of fascinating observations…"

---------------------------------------

A few hours later Rosie entered the teacher's lounge, glad to have her first half day over with. Now if the rest of the day would fly by like that, everything would be okay. Luckily for her, there had been no further disruptions from Laurent for the remainder of class time. If only he would behave like that for the rest of the day, but Rosie unfortunately knew better.

She sat down and sighed at the very thought. A whole year of both him and Beau – who, _of course_, were related to one another! How she was supposed to handle them both, Rosie didn't know and she sighed again, this time a little more heavily.

A voice interrupted her thoughts, saying, "By that heavy sigh, I'm deducing that you've got Laurent Guischard in your class this year. My sympathies to you, my dear. I know the very feeling because I had him in my class last year."

Rosie looked up in the direction where the voice was coming from and saw a petite short woman in her early sixties with whitish - blonde hair smiling at her. Rosie quickly recognized her as Mme. Deniaud from the staff meeting earlier that morning. She was definitely someone whom Rosie wanted to gain the admiration of.

"Mme. Deniaud!" Rosie quickly stood up to show her respect.

"Please resume what you were doing, Mlle. Reed," Mme. Deniaud told her, sitting down in the seat next to Rosie's. "There's no need to stop it on my account! So tell me. How are you doing on your first day here? Is everyone treating you decently?"

"Oh yes! Thank you for asking. Everyone's been so welcoming and helpful to me here…well, with the exception of Laurent, of course." Rosie chuckled nervously, returning to her seat. "But then you knew that since you said that he was in your class last year."

"Yes, I do know that all too well! Should you have any trouble with him, my dear, feel free to come and ask for advice from any of us, especially M. Berger and myself." She sighed. "And to think, he had the potential to be a such sweet child a couple years ago." She shook her head.

"Laurent? Sweet?" Rosie looked skeptical. As far as she could tell sweet and Laurent went together just as well as books and Beau did.

"I blame it on that family of his! Yes, we thought he might be different from the rest of the Laroche family and inherit the Guischard traits, but unfortunately it was not to be. Laurent recently became aware of how influential his cousin was and decided he wanted to be just like Beau. Hence the bullying and getting his way," Mme. Deniaud finished, with another shake of her head.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Rosie replied, sighing. "Even at school - the one place I thought there'd be no mention of Beau – there's no escape from him, is there?"

"Afraid not, Mlle. Reed," Mme. Deniaud told her. "There isn't anywhere in Molyneaux that escapes the Laroche dominion, including the school system here. Why? I'm not exactly sure, especially since very few of the Laroches have ever shown academic success. However, somehow they manage to do it. But enough of this unpleasant talk! I would like to know more about you and how it is you ended up here in Molyneaux. From what I understand it's a very interesting story because you come from a small town somewhere in the American Midwest."

"Oh…certainly! Well, I hail from Fairfax, Oklahoma, and this is my fourth year teaching. As for how I ended up in Molyneaux, it all started last year when we were studying about France and one of my students came up with a wonderful idea – start up an overseas friendship with French children. So we sent letters to different parts of France. It was a success as we received many back, some with email addresses, as well. So after that I just left it up to the students to see if they wanted to either do an Internet friendship or be pen pals. Most of them chose Internet friendships and as far as I know, they've still continued on with them - "

"If you ask me," another female voice interrupted Rosie. "The art of writing will become a lost art. You should have made them continue to write letters, instead of using the Internet – which in my opinion is a waste of time. By the way, you're in _my_ chair!"

At the sound of the newcomer, Rosie turned and glanced up to see a thin dour -faced woman with mousy graying brown hair in a severe bun looking at her. Rosie immediately identified her as Mlle. Mechant and began to rise, but was halted by Mme. Deniaud's voice.

"Mlle. Reed, it's all right. Please sit down," Mme. Deniaud told Rosie, then turned and addressed Mme Mechant. "Come now, Mathilde, be sensible. Both Mlle. Reed and I have as much claim to that chair as much you do. Besides is that any way to greet our new co-worker?"

Mme. Mechant glanced at Rosie and grudgingly said, "I _suppose_ she can sit there." Rosie smiled at her in reply, but it soon disappeared when Mlle. Mechant gave her a once-over and said, "Is that what teachers in America consider appropriate attire?"

With a confused look on her face, Rosie glanced down at herself. As far as she was concerned, she was dressed appropriately – a fitted jacket and a crisp white blouse, knee length skirt, low heels, and tasteful jewelry and make-up.

Puzzled, she frowned and looked back up at Mlle. Mechant. "Is there a problem with the way I'm dressed? If you compare me with other teachers, I'm dressed just the same as they are…which is to say, very professionally."

When she heard this, Mlle. Mechant was disgruntled to say the least. This young teacher had _no_ respect for her superiors or elders whatsoever. But then what else would one expect from an American?

With her mouth pursed, she looked at the newcomer and bluntly asked, "Your skirt is rather on the short side, is it not? Besides, we as teachers must set examples for the children and dress decorously. That skirt is lacking in material and I suggest you consider purchasing ones of more suitable length, for there are young men here who are prepubescents. That is, if you do not want to attract their attention, because as I must remind you, that is _not_ why you are here."

Rosie was speechless and just gaped at Mlle. Mechant, all the while thinking, _What is this woman talking about? I'm dressed respectably, aren't I?_

Attracting the attention of young men or men in general was the last thing on her mind. In fact, she hadn't even thought of that when choosing her outfits for her trip. Keeping in mind that she was coming to a small town, Rosie had chosen clothes that she had thought were suitable and modest. But apparently someone was of the opposite opinion that she hadn't.

Regaining her composure, Rosie was about to respond to Mlle. Mechant, when another voice came to her defense. "Mathilde, do stop hassling the new teacher! Must you do that every new school year? It's become rather old, don't you think?"

Both Rosie and Mlle. Mechant turned around and saw Mme. LeFiable, a dark-haired, pleasant-looking woman of medium height and a slightly plumpish build, entering the teacher's lounge. Rosie stood up and smiled, glad to see Mme. LeFiable again, while Mlle. Mechant sniffed and replied, " Now, Blanche, I do have pertinent reasons. Why, take just one look at how she's dressed! It's totally unacceptable, I tell you! She'll be a total distraction to the older male students here – and they certainly do not need another diversion, may I remind you - especially dressed like that."

Mme. LeFiable glanced at Rosie and just shook her head, and tried again. "Mathilde, the skirt that Mlle. Reed is wearing is a perfectly acceptable length for the workplace today. If it wasn't, I'm sure that she would be notified by the principal and would be willing to follow your earlier suggestion. Wouldn't you, Mlle. Reed?" Rosie nodded. "Besides, Mathilde, if you haven't noticed, I myself am wearing a skirt of almost the same length as Mlle. Reed's is. So you need not worry. As for your concerns with our students, I can assure you without a doubt that there will be no such occurrences with this young lady, as she is of good character, kindhearted and completely professional - "

"And pray tell me how you would know this, Blanche?" Mlle. Mechant scoffed, interrupting Mme. LeFiable. "You've never set eyes on her before, so please do enlighten me, would you?"

"Simple: she is my son Louis' pen pal and friend," Mme. LeFiable answered. "Louis allowed me to read some of his letters and he talked with me on many occasions regarding her. Through my son's correspondence with her, I got to know Mlle. Reed a little bit. Plus I spoke with her a little bit after our meeting this morning, and it only strengthened my impression of her. She is very personable and charming, but very competent. There will be no trouble as you fear, Mathilde. So put yourself at ease."

"Humph! We'll just see about that! Now if you'll excuse me, ladies, I've a class to teach," Mlle. Mechant replied, at a loss for words.

As she took her leave of the group, both Mmes. LeFiable and Deniaud murmured "_Adieus_" to her, while Rosie smiled at her as she left the teacher's lounge. Mlle. Mechant only gave them a perfunctory nod in return and then was gone.

As she made her way to her classroom, her head was pounding. It was worse than she had thought. The upstart had won over Mme. LeFiable and was apparently winning over Mme. Deniaud, as well. She shook her head in response to what she considered their folly, sure that they would come to regret it. She really thought they knew better or at least they should have.

Rosie watched Mlle. Mechant leave and then turned to Mmes. LeFiable and Deniaud with a bewildered look on her face, and said, " I wonder why she's so upset. Did I do anything wrong?"

Mme. Deniaud shook her head and told her, "Not at all, my dear. That's just how Mathilde Mechant is. No matter what time of the year it is or what type of mood she's in, she always looks like she just ate a lemon." Rosie giggled at this, then looked remorseful when Mme. Deniaud glanced at her. To her surprise, Mme. Deniaud gave her a wink and continued on, "Pay her no heed and don't let her ruin your time here. But enough of her for right now! Please continue on with your tale about how you came to our little village."

"Yes, well as I was saying…my last year's class and I wrote to different parts of France, with the students getting replies from school children from all over France and with Louis replying to mine." Rosie smiled at Mme. LeFiable and continued, "I knew I'd found an instant friend and so we continued writing. It wasn't until a few months later that the opportunity to come to France and teach came up. When it did, I jumped at the chance, and as they say the rest is history!" Rosie laughed as she finished up her story.

"Fascinating!" Mme. Deniaud answered. "So now tell me a little bit more about yourself and your family, what you like to do and what interests you."

Just as Rosie was about to respond to her request, the bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period. Mme. Deniaud just shook her head, looked up at the clock and said, "Lunchtime is never long enough. I guess I'll have to take a rain check on that for right now. But I would like to hear more about you."

Rosie said she would and with that, the three teachers went their separate ways to their respective classrooms.

---------------------------------------

Later that afternoon, Louis was making his way to the school to check the computer system there – a job that he looked forward to - when he heard his name being called. He turned around and looked in the direction and saw it was Beau. Louis waved and made his way over to Beau to find out what he wanted.

When Louis was close enough, Beau fell into step with him and asked, "So, LeFiable, you busy right now?"

"Actually, yeah, I am, Beau. Do you need something?" Louis replied. He was impatient to get to the school because he was running a little late and couldn't afford any more delays.

Beau was surprised to hear the uncharacteristic curtness in Louis' voice and scowled at him. This was not like him. What was Louis' problem?

Louis saw Beau glowering at him, and immediately relented. "Sorry about that, Beau, but I'm supposed to be at the school in a few minutes, so I can't waste any more time."

"You're going to the school? Now? Why?" Beau asked.

Louis sighed and rolled his eyes. "Beau, I've told you this before. Don't you remember? Part of my job is to give the school computers a once-over at the start of the school year? I've done this for a quite a few years now."

"You might have said something about it. I don't remember," Beau said, rather offhandedly, as if it didn't matter to him, but his mind was racing.

_Hmmm, _he thought_, Louis is headed to the school, and Rosie's a teacher at the school, so that means he'll see Rosie, and if I go with him, I'LL see her and…and THAT means I'll get another chance to impress her! That does it! I'm going!_

Beau smiled at this thought. It would give _her_ a chance to reconsider her decision, because he had not seen her since that evening two days ago. Beau refused to accept what had happened that night and had been determined to convince Rosie otherwise, but he hadn't been able to locate her. When he had asked the LePages and Dori where she was, all they had said was that Rosie was "busy," - whatever that meant! He scowled at the memory, but then brightened when another notion popped into his head.

_She's just playing hard to get,_ he thought, _but I love a girl who plays hard to get. Makes it more interesting that way!_

"So, mind if I come with you, Louis?" he asked his buddy, nonchalantly.

Surprised to hear this request, Louis observed Beau for a few seconds. Not once in all the time that he had been going to the school could he remember Beau asking him about his job or even showing the slightest interest in what Louis did.

"Sure, if you want to," Louis replied, momentarily wondering why Beau wanted to come along, but then he shrugged it off.

The two neared the school grounds and as they did, Louis pulled an apple from his jacket pocket. Beau noticed the apple in Louis' hand.

"What's with the apple?" Beau asked, gesturing at the fruit. By this time, they were nearly to the front doors of the primary school.

"Oh, this. I always give an apple to my mother when I come to check the computers. You know, an apple for the teacher - it's just something I do every year. Plus she likes it. It's become a tradition with us, so I always make sure I have an apple to give to her when I come to the school," Louis explained.

Seeing a very choice opportunity, Beau perked up, and said, "Hey, yeah! That's perfect! An apple for the teacher! That'll definitely charm Rosie for sure!" He grabbed the apple from Louis' hand and started on ahead of Louis, determined to find Rosie. "Thanks, buddy!"

Louis, stunned at what had just occurred, could only watch as Beau walked away. The he came to his senses and ran to catch up with Beau, calling, "But…but…but…Ah, nuts! Beau, wait up for me! You don't know where anything is in the school!"

-------------------------------------------

At the very same moment, with school finished for the day, her students on their way home and her first day finally over, Rosie let out a big sigh of relief. Much to her relief, Laurent had mostly behaved for the rest of the day, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't comply that easily for the rest of the year. She surveyed her classroom from the doorway, and thought, _I'm so glad that's over! _Again she sighed.

As she did, Mme. LeFiable walked by her classroom and heard her. She laughed and asked sympathetically, "Now it couldn't have been that bad, could it?"

After inviting Mme. LeFiable into her classroom, Rosie grinned sheepishly and replied, "No, it wasn't. Actually, it was a very good first day. I love my students and they are all well behaved…well, with the exception of Laurent. I just don't know what to do with him. Do you have any suggestions?"

"When dealing with him and his kin, always use a firm hand, my dear," Mme. LeFiable told her. "They need to know that no matter how much they push you, you won't budge. When they learn that they can't get their way, they usually give up. However this does not include Beau, I'm afraid."

Rosie noticed the mild exasperation in her voice. "Judging from your tone, I'm guessing that you have a lot of experience in that area, as Louis and Beau are…friends. Which reminds me, how is that those two are still friends? They seem so different from each other. I know that they grew up as kids, but Louis said when Beau became so popular, their friendship waned."

""Well, Beau has a certain charisma. He's always been very good at getting people to do what he wants. He's a very hard person to say 'no' too," Mme. LeFiable explained.

Rosie shook her head and said, "So I've noticed!"

Giving her an understanding smile, Mme. LeFiable continued, "And Louis has never been very assertive, I'm afraid. He's a wonderful boy, but a bit shy and reserved. He gets that from his parents. As for Beau and Louis, their 'friendship' is a result of their personalities and a particular incident from their adolescence."

"What was that, Mme. LeFiable?" Rosie asked, curious.

"Louis was always a very smart and gifted child, so we decided that he would go to one of the best private academies in France. Within a few months later, the Laroches decided to send Beau to the same school.

"Out of the blue, Beau suddenly started acting friendly to Louis, and even invited him to a big party he was throwing. Louis was thrilled; he'd never been very popular. Then, a few weeks later, I ran into Beau's mother, and she told me how thrilled she was that Louis was tutoring Beau in math. She said the coach had told Beau if he didn't get his grades up, he'd be off the rugby team.

"When I asked Louis about this, he didn't see a problem – he was helping out a friend. My son, usually very shy, was grateful to Beau for helping him become part of the in crowd.'

Mme. LeFiable paused as if she wanted to say something else, but didn't. Rosie was quick to catch the implication of what hadn't been said, and replied sympathetically, "But it bothered _you_, didn't it?"

Mme. LeFiable smiled in a melancholy way and nodded. "Yes." She looked at Rosie and said, "Mlle. Reed…"

"Please call me Rosie, Mme. LeFiable, " Rosie told her, her heart going out to her.

Mme. LeFiable smiled, a little bit brighter. "Very well then…Rosie. Yes, both my husband and I felt that Beau was taking advantage of Louis...which he was, and still does to this day, unfortunately. We tried to get Louis to see this, but Louis was stubborn and didn't heed us back then. He knows better now and tries, but with that nature of his, he just can't say 'no' to Beau! How I wish we could have been able to instill more confidence in him, but we aren't the Laroches." She shook her head.

Hearing the frustration in her voice, Rosie said empathetically, "That may be true, but that's why I like Louis just the way he is. There's something sweet and endearing about him. Plus as far as I can tell, he's very well respected in Molyneaux, not to mention greatly appreciated. Both Celeste and Stephan and Dori and Bertrand and their families have spoken very highly of him. You must be so proud!"

"Yes. Yes, that is true!" Mme. LeFiable beamed. "Louis has indeed made a name for himself here and we are so very proud of him, but there still is so much we wish for him, especially that he will find someone to share his life with."

As she said this, Mme. LeFiable gave Rosie a meaningful look. Before Rosie could figure out what it meant, the door opening interrupted them. They turned around to see Beau and Louis in the doorway of Rosie's classroom.

"Ah! There you are, Rosie!" Beau declared. He turned to Louis, and told him, "See? What'd I tell you! Just leave it to me and I'd find her!" He turned back to Rosie and boasted, "I have an incredible innate sense of direction, you know."

Rosie half-smiled and replied, "Is that a fact? I didn't know that, Beau." She weakly laughed, not knowing what else to do.

Beau missed her reaction because he was distracted by Rosie's appearance. He gave her a once over - his eyes slowly taking in every last inch of her gorgeousness - and found himself immediately turned on by Rosie's ensemble, which included her glasses.

As he gazed at her, his pulse quickened and his mind raced. There was something alluring about a beautiful girl dressed in such a professional way.

Beau could just picture Rosie taking off those damn glasses, pulling the clip out of her French Twist and shaking out her hair, undoing the top button of her blouse with a provocative wink, walking sensually and slowly toward him, all the while telling him that she wanted him in the worst possible way...

The image of a very seductive Rosie pursing her lips and begging him to kiss her was driving Beau wild. Damn, what he'd give to be a student of hers!

It didn't matter to Beau which one of his teacher fantasies came true with Rosie – the one whether he was the naughty student who misbehaved and had be punished (Beau grinned at this idea) or the student who needed to stay after class for a little private tutoring - a little one on one – because she could teach him a thing or two – just as long as he got that chance.

_Hell_, he thought, _I could teach her a thing or two even, if she would just let me!_

Beau was so lost in his dreams about Rosie, that he didn't hear Mme. LeFiable address him at first. It took her a couple times calling his name to catch his attention, as well as Louis tapping his arm.

"What?" he snapped irritably at Louis, annoyed that his reverie was disturbed.

"My mother was speaking to you, Beau," Louis replied, frowning.

At this, Beau looked around and saw that everyone else was looking at him with exasperated expressions. He quickly snapped out of it when he saw Rosie watching him. If he was gonna score points with her, Beau knew that he would have to be on his best behavior.

"I'm sorry, Mme. LeFiable," he said contritely. "Would you repeat that again? Didn't hear you the first time. My mind was a little preoccupied…Business stuff, you know."

Mme. LeFiable studied Beau for a moment, and then said, "I merely asked what brings you here, Beauregard."

_Beauregard?_ Beau's full first name was _Beauregard_? Rosie's eyes widened, and she bit her bottom lip to stifle the laughter when she heard the name.

When she saw Beau grimace at being called that, she was glad that she hadn't laughed out loud. To say that Beau wasn't too thrilled was an understatement. But just as quickly as it appeared, the expression vanished.

Beau replied, "Louis was going to the school, so I thought I'd tag along and see how my favorite girl is doing on her first day!"

He turned to Rosie. Producing the apple, he presented it to her with a flourish, saying charmingly, "For you, mademoiselle, an apple for the teacher!"

Rosie was taken aback by the gesture. After a moment, she regained her poise and smiled. "Why, thank you, Beau! That was so thoughtful of you."

"_Yes!_" Beau thought as Rosie took the apple from him. He grinned when she thanked him and smiled at him.

As Rosie looked at Beau, she wondered if maybe she had misjudged him. Surely, Beau couldn't be all that bad if he had brought her an apple. It was actually kind of sweet really - him standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear, like he had been praised. She giggled softly.

Seeing him in this light, Rosie had to admit that there was a boyish sort of charm about him which appealed to her – much better than the braggadocio side of him. Maybe, just maybe, she should give him a second chance, she thought.

While Rosie and Beau were focussed on each other, they did not see the expressions of the other two people in the room, which was a good thing. Both Louis and his mother were not at all pleased with what was transpiring in front of them.

Mme. LeFiable watched the two with a slightly irritated expression. Rosie seemed like a winsome girl who cared about her son, so why was she standing there and paying attention to – and _flirting_ with - Beau? And why _was_ Beau calling her 'his girl'?

She shook her head, knowing the answer all too well. Because of his good looks and charismatic personality, one glance from Beau could turn a grown woman into a giggling schoolgirl, like he was doing to Rosie.For just once, couldn't he step aside and let Louis have a chance at a pretty girl, especially this one?

Thinking of her son made Mme. LeFiable glance over at Louis. He, too, couldn't believe what was happening, and glared at both Beau and Rosie with an expression of annoyance and jealousy on his face.

He shook his head, angry with himself. He should've known the reason why Beau wanted to come to the school – _Rosie_!

It wasn't fair, he thought. All his life he had seen girls falling for Beau. One smile, and they were gone! Now it looked like Rosie was completely attracted to him, too, _despite_ all her declarations! Louis scowled at this thought.

And all because Beau gave her an apple - _HIS_ apple! That _really_ irked Louis. Rosie should be smiling at him instead of Beau!

At this thought he glowered even more furiously at the two, but neither saw it because they were still conversing with each other.

"So are you done for the day here, Rosie?" Beau asked. "Because if you are, I 'd gladly accompany you to my gym and we can get your membership processed. It's Monday, remember? You said you'd stop by Monday to fill out your paperwork."

"Oh, that's right! I did, didn't I?" Rosie told him. "I'm sorry, Beau, but today's not a good day for me to do that. I'm a little bit busy, it being the first day and all." Beau looked a little disappointed. "Although…" Rosie looked thoughtful. "I _could_ do it sometime in the late afternoon on Wednesday, because there's no school that day. Yes…yes, Wednesday would work out better for me. So I'll see you then, Beau?"

"Wednesday it is! I'll see you then, beautiful," Beau told her, winking at Rosie. He left the room whistling, after waving to Louis and his mother.

Rosie watched him go and then turned, saying, "Well, that was sweet of him, wasn't….it…."

She trailed off, confused. Why were they looking at her like that? But before she could say anything, their annoyed expressions had been replaced by pleasanter ones, so quickly that Rosie thought that she had been seeing things. She shrugged it off and chalked it up to a long day.

"Yes, that was very thoughtful of him," Mme. LeFiable replied. "In fact, Louis always brings me an apple on the first day, too." She turned to Louis. "Don't you?" She smiled at him.

Louis stood motionless, panicking, while his mother looked at him expectantly. He knew she was waiting for the apple, but what was he to do? Thanks to Beau's selfishness, Rosie had it.

"Um…yeah…your apple…" Louis started. He quickly glanced at the door and then down at the floor, mumbling, "I must have forgotten it. I'm sorry."

Looking at Louis, Rosie suddenly knew where the apple she was holding had come from. _Apparently Beau wasn't as generous as I gave him credit for_, she thought, mentally rolling her eyes

"You did? That's such a shame!" Mme. LeFiable replied, disappointed. "Well, maybe you can bring it to me another time, dear." She smiled at him, and then at Rosie, her eyes briefly going to the apple. "Louis is one of the most considerate, kindest people I know."

"Here, Mme. LeFiable - why don't you take this one?" Rosie said, holding it out. "I'm not very hungry, and I believe this is rightfully yours." Mme. LeFiable accepted the apple, smiling at her. "And I agree with you completely." Rosie smiled at Louis as she said this.

Louis beamed at Rosie, his mood much improved. Now this was more like it!

Mme. LeFiable smiled as she looked upon the scene. Perhaps now that Rosie saw firsthand how Beau worked, she might be swayed more towards Louis. Mme. LeFiable knew that it wouldn't happen immediately, but maybe, just maybe, in time Rosie would come to see Louis as more than just a friend.

She then took her leave of the two, telling them goodbye and giving the two a little privacy.

Louis was just about to say something to Rosie, when he heard someone say, "Ah, Louis, there you are! We've been waiting for you to check the computers."

Both of them turned to see M. Berger in the doorway of Rosie's classroom.

"Okay, I'll be right there, M. Berger," Louis told him, disappointed at being interrupted.

The principal nodded, turned to Rosie. "How was your first day, Mlle. Reed? Hope Laurent wasn't too much trouble."

"There was one little incident after you left, but I handled it. After that, he was fine the rest of the day," Rosie replied.

"Good, good! Well, have a pleasant evening then, and I'll see you tomorrow then," M. Berger nodded at both of them and headed back down to his office.

"Well…I guess I'll see you later then, Rosie," Louis said reluctantly. As he looked at her, the last thing he wanted to do was leave, but he had no choice – duty called.

"Good night, Louis." Rosie smiled. Then she paused and added, "If I'm still here when you're done, we could go and get a _café au lait_ at _Le Bistro_. That is, if you would like to."

"Yes, I'd like that very much, Rosie!" Louis replied enthusiastically.

With that, he left her classroom waving at her. He was pleased to see that she had accompanied him to the entranceway of her room.

As he headed down the hall towards the computer room, Louis beamed, almost floating on air. He couldn't believe his good luck!

_Ha, take that, Beau! _he thought. _Rosie wants to spend time with me, not you!_

As he reached the computer lab, he overheard a female voice in the distance, say, "Did I see you talking to Beau Laroche, Rosie? Oh, my gosh! He's so dreamy, don't you think?"

_Oh, no! Not Beau again_! Louis grimaced and quickly entered the computer room afraid to hear Rosie's reply.


	12. Why Can't We be Friends?

**_A/N_** - _Yes, it's true...you're not staring at a mirage. The next installment of Everything IS finally here! Better late than never I always say! LOL :) I hope you will enjoy it. It's a fairly long ch apter, so consider that the tradeoff for having to wait so long between chapters. Thanks for being so patient, every one. As always, much thanks to TrudiRose, the most awesome beta reader ever!Appreciated your input for this chapter. Also thanks to the BatB MSN workshop crew. Now read on, everyone:)_

**Why Can't we be Friends?**

"So I bet you're glad to have the first week over, huh?" Dori asked Rosie, as they sat talking at a table in _Le Café_.

"Yes!" Rosie told her friend. Dori laughed. "Dori, I'm serious. You have no idea. I thought this week would never end."

"Aw, c'mon! It couldn't have been all that bad," Dori replied.

"I'd like to see you say that after dealing with both MademoiselleMechant _and_ Laurent Guischard for a week – not to mention Beau. Then I bet you'd change your tune real fast!" Rosie looked at her friend skeptically with one eyebrow raised.

"Okay, okay! You got me there!" Dori threw her hands up in mock surrender. "You do have your hands full just with Beau, especially after he tried to hit on you twice this week: once at the school with the apple and once at the gym."

Rosie stared at Dori, flabbergasted. After a moment, she spoke up. "How do you know about that? We haven't had time to sit and talk because I've been too busy with school and all."

Dori took a sip of her coffee and shrugged. "Rosie, this is a small village, remember? Anything regarding Beau will get gossiped about, _especially_ when it comes to the ladies. He's the most eligible bachelor in town, and now he's got his eye on _you_. That puts you in the spotlight, I'm afraid. All the single girls and their mothers will have their eye on you to see if you're the one who's going to reel him in."

"You've got to be kidding me," Rosie groaned. She put her head down on the table. This was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.

"I wish I was," Dori told her, glancing at her friend sympathetically. "But I'm not. To the single girls, you are a threat to their chance to be Madame Beauregarde Gaston Laroche. They see you as a intruder and an outsider possibly taking what they consider rightfully theirs and it doesn't set well with them at all."

"Yeah, well. It doesn't exactly sit well with me either." Rosie raised her head up and looked at Dori. "As far as I'm concerned they can have him, because I certainly don't want him!" she declared emphatically. "Where did they did get the idea that I want him?"

Dori sighed. "Rosie, this is Beau remember! As far as this village is concerned, there is a not woman who exists who doesn't want him. Besides, didn't you admit that you were attracted to him?"

"Well, yes…but only a little bit. However that doesn't mean that I want him!" she protested.

"If Beau thinks or knows you're even a little bit attracted to him, he'll take it to mean that you desperately want him. It's just his way," Dori told her friend.

"Ugh! What a mess! What I am going to do, Dori? I need to set things straight. I didn't want this at all," Rosie said.

Dori looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "Hmmm….you could join a convent." She chuckled a little. "He'd never look for you there…or maybe he would, with your looks."

"Dori! You're not helping! This is serious!" Rosie stated.

"Okay, okay! Was just trying to lighten the mood here, but I can see it's not working. However I do think that you should follow my suggestion and keep your distance from Beau. That should hopefully stop the talk. If you have to interact with him, keep it short and brief and to be on the safe side make sure that someone is with you. That _should_ cut down on the gossip," Dori advised her. "It's not going to quiet all of it, but it's a start. Also when you see him, make sure that he definitely knows that you are not interested in him _whatsoever._ Beau's not one for subtlety. He needs to be hit on the head to understand what someone's trying to tell him."

"Thanks, Dori. I really appreciate that and can totally handle that. The less I see of Beau, the better. Yes, I think that will…Oh no!" Rosie remembered something.

"What?" Dori asked, puzzled.

"The gym! How can I possibly avoid Beau there? That's _his_ territory. Maybe I should quit?" Rosie asked. Dori was just about to give her opinion on the matter, when Rosie continued on. "No, that's silly," she shook her head, answering herself. "I shouldn't have to alter my routine just because of him. Besides I just filled out my membership papers and paid the fee. That would be a waste of good money…."

"Can I get a word in edgewise here?" Dori replied. Rosie sheepishly nodded. Dori continued on. "You might want to reconsider that decision, but if you've got your mind made up, at least take my advice about not being alone with him. Rosie, please go when it's fairly busy. That way it won't just be the two of you."

"Well, usually I like to go when it's pretty quiet, but if that's my only choice to elude Beau, then so be it. That's all I need - Beau posing and flexing in front of me while I'm trying to work out!" Rosie sighed, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

As soon as Rosie finished saying this, she and Dori glanced at each other and burst out laughing. Try as they might, they couldn't stop giggling because the mental image of Beau showing off for an unimpressed Rosie was just too much for them. A few minutes later, they finally quieted down with the occasional giggle escaping from one of them.

Still chuckling, Dori asked, "Okay, not counting your experiences with Beau, how'd your week _really_ go?"

Meanwhile Monique approached _Le Café_. She glanced around to make sure that none of her sisters or any of their friends were in sight. The last thing she wanted to have happen is for news of this to get back to Michèle or Marie, _especially_ Michèle – and especially since Monique had told her elder sister that she was just meeting Dori, which was partly true.

She drew closer to the café and spotted Dori and Rosie. They were apparently laughing hysterically about something. Monique halted at the sight of Rosie, suddenly embarrassed at her sisters' behavior towards the newcomer over the past two weeks. She bit her lip, wondering if Rosie would judge her by her sisters, and fervently hoped not. She was just about to turn around and go the other way, when she remembered what Dori had said about Rosie: _"good-natured, friendly, treats everyone fairly and not a judgmental or spiteful bone in her body – however she wants to be treated the same way." _With that thought in mind and some exciting news to share, Monique entered the café.

As she walked towards the table where they sat, she heard Dori say, "Rosie, don't let her get to you. Though she's a good teacher, she really has no people skills and is not known for her personality. Dealing with people is not her forte at all, plus she has no sense of humor."

Rosie was just about to reply when a new voice said, "Let me guess! You're referring to old '_Visage Aigre_' (Sour Face) Mechant, right?"

Both Dori and Rosie turned to see Monique standing there. Standing up, Dori laughingly replied, "Yep, the very same! How'd you know, Monique?"

"Oh, lucky guess," Monique told her. They hugged and then sat down. "She's not one who's easy to forget. Try as I might."

"I hear you there!" Dori emphatically agreed. She turned to Rosie and said, "Mlle. Mechant should come with a warning label. The way she teaches can put you to sleep. Just ask Beau and Bertrand. They got in trouble many times for that."

"Oh, so that's the part of the reason why Beau wasn't too keen on school," Rosie chuckled, thinking back to the dinner at the Farves. She then shook her head. "Can't say I blame him. With a teacher like that, I wouldn't be either." She paused and chuckled some more. "'_Visage Aigre'_! Haven't heard that one before. Is she widely known by that?"

Dori and Monique glanced at each other and nodded, with Dori telling Rosie, "Nearly almost every kid who's been one of her students since Beau and Bertrand's class. Beau's the one who bestowed that nickname on her."

"Beau did?" Rosie replied. "Why does this not surprise me? Let me guess. Given what I know about him, as a teacher, I'd say he was easily bored in school, not wanting to be there, and therefore did what he could to amuse himself and keep himself in the spotlight, even though it meant being a distraction to the rest of the class."

"Yeah, that's Beau for you right down to a 'T' !" Dori said. "Wasn't a big fan of learning. In fact he hated it. Only subject he liked was Phys Ed and that was only because he was able to show off for the girls."

"Really? Never would have guessed that!" Rosie said wryly, one eyebrow raised. She and Dori exchanged glances and smirks.

Monique meanwhile sighed reminiscently. "Mm, now there was a sight…Beau working out. Still is!" she declared, giggling. "It was standing room only. All the girls would be there to watch him in action and to marvel on how amazingly perfect he was…and still is." She turned to Dori. "Remember when we used to watch Beau for hours, then drool over and dream about him? I certainly do." She sighed again.

While Monique was lost in her thoughts of Beau, Rosie glanced over at Dori with an amused "_Really! You did that?_" look.

Dori shot a "_What about you?_" look back at Rosie, then slightly reddened, and coughed. Rosie looked away abruptly, her mind recalling her own response to seeing Beau shirtless. She pushed that from her mind as fast as she could, not wanting to dwell on it. _Dori's right_, she thought. _I'M not one to talk considering MY reaction to Beau at the gym that day._

After regaining her composure, Dori realized that Rosie and Monique had not been introduced yet. Quickly she rectified that. "Oh, where are my manners? Rosie, this is Monique. Monique, Rosie."

"We've actually met – at the boutique, remember?" Rosie said.

"Yes." Monique took a deep breath and said, "Listen, I'm really sorry my sisters are being so rude to you. They're really not like that…normally. Well,Michèle isn't…But Marie's a whole other story. Somehow they think that Beau belongs to _them_. They get jealous if he even _LOOKS_ at another girl, and they automatically hate her for it. They've always been like that, since we were twelve," she finished, shaking her head.

"Thanks, Monique. I appreciate the apology, but there's no need to worry." Rosie smiled at her. Monique smiled back, clearly relieved. Rosie continued on, "As far as I'm concerned, your sisters, especially Marie, can have Beau. He is handsome, but I certainly don't want him. He's not my type."

Monique replied, "I'll try to tell them, but I doubt they'll listen. When it comes to Beau and those two, you can basically throw common sense out the window. Especially with the dance coming up–"

She was interrupted by a squeal from Dori. Rosie was surprised. She'd never seen Dori get excited like that.

"The annual dance? Finally! I thought they'd never get around to announcing it. When is it being held? What date? Why didn't you tell us right away?" Dori asked eagerly.

"Take it easy, Dori!" Monique laughed. "You already have a escort, remember? Not like us single girls who have to depend on the guys to ask us out." Dori smiled sheepishly. "Anyway to answer your question, it'll be the first Saturday in October. I'm not sure of the date."

"Annual dance? What's that?" Rosie was interested.

"It's a part of Molyneaux's cultural history," Monique explained. "This is one of our little village's biggest events, if not the biggest. It's been held almost as long as Molyneaux's been around."

"And it's considered the most romantic day here in town, " Dori added. "More marriage proposals have been made and accepted on this particular night than any other night. I should know because Bertrand proposed to me after the dance six years ago."

"Oh, that's so romantic!" Rosie sighed. "So that's why you were so happy about the news. It has sentimental value for you."

"Mm-hmm. It holds a very special place in my heart, and Bertrand's," Dori said. "As well as countless generations of Molyneauxians who've come before us. It's a source of pride for our village and connects us with the past."

"Yeah, no other town for miles can claim they have one of the longest running events like we have," Monique said.

"Wow! That's very impressive," Rosie replied.

"The dance is what Molyneaux's best known for…well, that and Beau!" Monique giggled. She turned to Rosie. "Not only do the girls from Molyneaux want him, but every single woman in the surrounding areas wants him as well. Beau's a very popular guy! Especially around dance time. Every girl hopes that Beau will choose to take her to the dance."

"I gotta admit that's true…but if the Molyneaux girls had their way, Beau would be kept a secret known only to them," Dori said.

"Yeah, almost every girl here wants to marry him. We don't need any more competition from the outside…Oops! Sorry, Rosie, didn't mean that," Monique said.

"No worries, Monique," Rosie assured her. "Like I said before, Molyneaux girls can relax. They've got nothing to worry about on my part."

Dori and Monique couldn't help but think, _Yeah, but you're not the one we have to worry about, Beau is! _

"Anyway, let's get back to the dance, At least I think that's what we were talking about before we got on this Beau tangent." Dori chuckled. "Since this'll be your first dance here, Rosie, we've got to fill you in."

"Oh, yes! Good idea, Dori!" Monique piped up. "You're gonna love it. No one misses it unless they have a good reason. Our town really shines on the night of the dance."

"Literally!" Dori told Rosie. "There's so much prep for the dance, but it's all worth it. Everyone wants to look their best for this special event."

"What does everyone wear typically?" Rosie asked, curious. "Is it formal or casual wear?"

"More like semi-formal, actually. The guys wear suits and ties, while the ladies wear their best dresses. Some actually use the dance as an excuse to buy a new one," Dori explained. "I should know, because I'm guilty of that! But Bertrand didn't mind because he loved the total effect of it. Glad Roy was at the babysitter's that night." She thought of something. "In fact, our dance is not only known for the marriage proposals, but for something else as well. Many babies in Molyneaux are often born nine months to the day of the dance."

"Guess the dance really has a profound effect on Molyneaux's population, doesn't it?" Rosie asked, chuckling. Both Monique and Dori nodded. "Do the women go to Paris to shop or do they stay around here for their dress?"

"Actually it's half and half," Monique said. "Some prefer Paris and others want to shop locally, like _La Petite Femme_. In fact the month before the dance is our busiest time."

"Yeah, it's constantly crowded in there, but there's a good reason for that. Monique and her sisters know their fashion, especially Monique. In fact, Monique made my dress for me and Bertrand loved it! Still does." Dori winked knowingly at the other two. They giggled.

"You design and create fashion, Monique? Wow, you must be very talented!" Rosie said, impressed. "I have no talent when it comes to the needle at all. I can sew a button, but that's all!"

"Well, I just design for myself and friends and family closest to me and once in a while, one of my creations ends up in _La Petite Femme_," Monique replied. "It's a hobby more than anything."

"You're too modest, Monique. You're far too talented for this little town. You should apply to fashion design school," Dori told her.

"Wouldn't that be great if I could?" Monique said wistfully. "But my sisters need me to help with the boutique."

"Monique, you really should do it!" Dori said encouragingly. She turned to Rosie and said, "You should see some of the clothes and outfits she's created. Not to mention her sketches! They're unbelievably good."

"I'd love to see them and some of your creations, Monique," Rosie said, clearly fascinated. She was completely surprised by Monique's creativity and talent. When Monique wasn't talking about Beau, she was very engaging to talk to. "What have you designed?"

"Just mostly dresses and skirts, really, with a few jackets and tops here and there. Simple things, nothing too fancy," Monique said modestly.

"Yeah, right!" Dori shook her head. "I'll have to show you my dress, Rosie. Then you can tell me if it's fancy or not." Monique blushed at the compliment.

"Love to see it, Dori." Rosie turned to Monique. "How'd you get into fashion? Was it something that you always loved to do?"

"Ever since I was a little girl, actually. All the girls our age used to play together all the time. You know dress up and dolls, stuff like that. While everyone else moved on, guess my sisters and I just took it to another level," Monique replied.

"Well, you're doing a great job of it! When I was in the shop, I really loved the clothes you had there, especially that top," Rosie told Monique. "So, if you design the clothes, then what do your sisters do?"

Monique continued on. "Michèle is smart and good with money, so she's the manager and deals with the business side of things. Marie's our local fashion stylist and the personal shopper of the store. She's great at figuring out what looks good on a person. And I design some original creations…"

"Which get snatched up like that!" Dori told Rosie, snapping her fingers. "In fact, that cute flowered top that you liked is a Monique creation." Rosie looked at Monique impressed. "I went to the boutique and looked at it and sure enough, Monique had made it."

The mention of that afternoon made Monique look abashed. "Look, Rosie, I'm sorry again for the way that my sisters treated you in there, especially Marie. They're not normally rude to customers, potential or otherwise. Again it had to deal with…"

"_Beau!_" Rosie finished. All of them giggled. "Of course. That doesn't surprise me at all. I accept the apology and also am sorry I snapped at Marie, but she was getting on my nerves."

"Believe me, Rosie, I know that feeling all too well! After all, I'm her sister and have to deal with her all the time!" Monique said, chuckling. "But when it comes down to it, she's not really that bad. After all, a girl can't stay mad too long at her sister when she suggests going shopping, especially in Paris!"

"Mm…shopping in Paris! Love it!" Rosie exclaimed.

"Me, too!" Dori got an idea. "Hey! How about a trip to Paris to shop then? Just the three of us?" Dori asked excitedly. "Wouldn't that be fun? We could make a weekend out of it sometime later in the fall."

"Definitely!" "Love to!" Rosie and Monique emphatically agreed. The three of them spent the rest of the time planning and talking about the upcoming trip to Paris and all the shopping that they could do there.

It was Dori who finally broke up the gabfest. She happened to glance at the clock at the café and realized how late it was getting. "Sorry to break up this party, girls, but I've got to pick up Roy from my parents' house, then go to the grocery store, and get home and make dinner. I'll see you later! This has been fun!" She hugged both Rosie and Monique and left the café in a hurry. "Bye!"

Monique and Rosie waved back at her and made their way to the door. As they exited _Le Café_, Monique noticed Rosie glancing around. "Rosie, what _are_ you doing?" she asked, partially amused.

"Huh…Oh, sorry, Monique!" Rosie said sheepishly. "Just keeping an eye out for Beau. If he sees me, then there's no escape from his bragging and boasting and showing off. Not to mention, he'll ask me out again." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. " What is _with_ him anyway? He's so determined to go out with me even though I'm not interested. There's number of girls here he could have instead. Why doesn't he focus on them instead?"

Monique replied, "Well, that's how he is. He likes the challenge, I think. I believe you're one of the rare few who didn't fall at his feet right away. So naturally he won't let it go until you give in. He's very persistent, so I suggest you don't let your defenses down around him or….BOOM! He's got you right where he wants you."

"And you know this how?" Rosie asked her.

"We dated for a little while about ten years ago," Monique confessed. Rosie looked surprised. "He asked me to the fall dance and I was so thrilled! But then, he spent the whole time checking out and flirting with other girls! And soon after that, a new girl moved to town, and he broke up with me to go after her. He's had a ton of girlfriends, but he can't stick to just one woman. Whereas I'm a one-man woman looking for a one-woman man and Beau…well, he's the multiple serial dater. I don't know if he'll ever settle down, even if he gets married." Monique gave Rosie a sympathetic glance.

"What's that look for?" Rosie asked. "I'm not married to him now nor will I ever be! I have no interest in marrying him whatsoever."

Monique laughed. "Rosie, you say that _now_, but Beau can be pretty persuasive, believe me! And in his mind, it doesn't matter what _you_ want - all that matters is what _HE_ wants. If he's got his sights set on you, he'll turn on the charm full force to try to win you over. So watch out!"

"Let Beau try, but he won't get anywhere with _this_ girl. He's definitely not for me, _that's_ for sure," Rosie declared.

"Then I wish you lots of luck and patience when dealing with Beau," Monique said to Rosie. "You're gonna need it!"

"Thanks, Monique, I have that same feeling too," Rosie said. "I appreciate the support. I swear there should be a law against guys like Beau. There's no way he should have that much power over the female population. It's just not right!"

Laughing Monique replied, "Welcome to Beau's world, Rosie. The rest of us are just living in it."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm from Oklahoma, isn't it?" Rosie retorted, grinning.

"We'll just see about that!" Monique shot back. "Well, I should be going. Nice meeting you, Rosie. We should do this again."

"Oh, but we will be! Remember? Shopping in Paris!" Rosie reminded her.

"How could I forget that? Silly me!" Monique giggled. She gazed thoughtfully at Rosie for a moment. "Rosie, if you need a dress for the dance, I'd be glad to make one for you, that is if you want me to."

"Really?" Rosie replied, touched. " Thanks, Monique. I'd love it if you would. Since most of the clothes I brought over here are mostly work clothes, that would be great."

"Great!" Monique eyed Rosie. "Sometime next week, I'll stop by the LePages' house and we can discuss what you would like for the dance, and I also can take your measurements."

"I'll see you then…Oh no! Sorry, Monique, but I've got to run. I'll see you later! Bye!" Rosie left in a hurry.

Monique stared after her, puzzled. Why had Rosie taken off so abruptly? She shrugged it off and turned around and saw the reason why. There in the distance surrounded by his group of admirers was Beau. Monique shook her head at this scene. News of the dance had obviously spread quickly and every one wanted to find out who the lucky girl that Beau would be taking to the dance was.

Monique decided to head home, since she had no interest in joining the crowd. That had been her in years past, but she had grown and matured. Now she wanted nothing more than a real relationship like Dori and Bertrand had. Would that ever be her? She sighed.

Lost in her thoughts, Monique was startled when she heard someone say, "Getting friendly with the enemy, are we?"

She swiveled in the direction of the voice and was met with the sight of her older sister glaring at her. Michèle did not look pleased as she walked towards her, but Monique found herself not caring what her sister thought.

She just gazed right back, retorting, "Michèle, would you just give it a rest? Rosie is definitely not the enemy. She's very sweet and friendly and definitely not into Beau. I heard her state that quite clearly."

"Ha!" Michèle scoffed. "That's what she wants us to think, before she snatches Beau away from us. She's no good, I tell you."

Exasperated, Monique shook her head at her sister's antics. "Michèle, you're so smart in other parts of your life. So how come your IQ drops 30 points and you act like Marie when it comes to Beau? This happens _every_ time when Beau chases another girl. Speaking of which, it's Beau you should be mad at, not Rosie. He's the one doing the chasing, not her."

"But…." Michèle was at a loss for words. She stared at her sister. "You didn't answer my question, Monique. Why were you with Rosie? I thought I made my position very clear on this. You lied to me about it."

"I did not!" Monique replied defensively. "I told you that I was meeting up with Dori this afternoon, and I did. It just so happened that she invited Rosie there too. Michèle, you need to ease up on Rosie. You would really like her if you just gave her a chance. She's really easy to talk to and very personable."

Michèle scoffed at the idea. Monique just shrugged her sister's reaction off. If Michèle and Marie wanted to be snobs about Rosie, that was their problem. However, she was glad to befriend another woman whose world didn't revolve around Beau.

"Well if you're done with the interrogation, Michèle, I'm heading home. You coming?" Monique asked her.

"No, they announced the dance today," Michèle said. "I told Marie that I'd meet her around this time. We're going to find Beau and –"

Monique interrupted her. "Well, if you're going to persuade him to take one of you, then I suggest that you better get going or else someone else will!"

"What are you talking about?"Michèle demanded.

Monique pointed to where Beau was. He was surrounded by a quite a few of his admirers, all trying to vie for his attention. "Need I say more?"

Michèle gasped. "The nerve of them! Beau is ours!" she huffed and headed towards Beau without saying a goodbye to Monique.

Monique just shook her head and continued on her way home.

-----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Rosie was quietly trying to make her way to the LePages' home without Beau seeing her. _Just my luck_, she thought, _that LePages' house would be just HAVE to be in this direction_.

She knew once he caught sight of her that would be the end of it. Rosie grimaced at the thought and prayed he wouldn't notice her. She snuck a quick glance at the group and was glad to see that Beau was showing off and wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. Rosie never thought she would be so glad to see Beau preening.

Rosie sighed in relief, then realized with a sinking feeling that their paths _were_ going to cross. In order to get to Stephan and Celeste's place, she had to pass the tavern – the very same place it looked like Beau was headed! Panicked, she looked around quickly and decided to duck into the nearest shop until it was safe.

As she quickly entered the shop, she overheard one of the girls ask Beau, "Hey, handsome, did you hear that they announced the dance today?"

Beau glanced down at the speaker. He flashed a dazzling smile at her, which made her swoon. "Of course! It wouldn't be the biggest party of the year without me there, would it now?"

"Naturally!" Marie agreed with him. She glanced at him flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes at him. "So, gorgeous," she cooed. "Who _is_ the incredibly fortunate girl whose presence you will be gracing? Have you decided yet?"

"Yep! Indeed I have. And it's…" Beau told her. Eagerly anticipating his answer, they all gazed at him, hoping it would be one of them. "…_Rosie_! She's the lucky one I'm taking to the dance."

Disappointed, every one of the girls' faces fell, except Marie and Michèle's. They were just fuming. They looked at one another and silently agreed that somehow Rosie was going to pay.

Seeing the crestfallen expressions, Beau exclaimed, "Girls, what's with the long faces? I may be taking Rosie, but you'll still have the thrill of seeing me all dressed up! Quite a sight to behold, don't you agree?" He glanced at the girls on his right and they sighed. "And you'll all get the chance to dance with me that evening! There's plenty for everyone! I'll make sure of that!" They all brightened when they heard this. He glanced at the ones on his left, smiling at them. "Don't want to disappoint my biggest fans, now do I?"

With thoughts of the upcoming dance in their heads, all the girls were in much better moods and were gazing adoringly at Beau. Seeing this, Beau was pleased and led his followers into the tavern.

At that moment, Rosie decided to peek out and see if it was safe. She glanced out of the shop and saw Beau and the last of his "harem" enter the tavern. Realizing the coast was clear, Rosie exited the store and quickly made her way past the tavern and down the street on her way to the LePages'.

Unbeknownst to her, two of the followers, a couple of the younger teachers she worked with, glanced back to see Rosie as she walked by the tavern. They had noticed Rosie earlier and tried to get her attention, but hadn't been successful and had been somewhat puzzled to see her scurry into a shop to avoid being seen by Beau. After all, he had just announced that he had chosen to take Rosie to the dance! To their way of thinking that was a compliment, an honor even, for a girl. So why was Rosie acting like it was the worst thing possible? They were very curious about it and were determined to ask Rosie about it the next time they saw her.

But that would have to wait for another day. For now, it was time to celebrate and have some fun! Putting it out of their minds, they joined Beau and the rest of his admirers for an evening of revelry.


	13. Love Triangle?

_**A/N** - Hello, all! Yes, I am still alive and still working on this story. It just took me a little longer - okay, okay...a lot longer - to complete this chapter. To make up for it, this chapter is a lengthy one...plus, in a few days, I'll post my other chapter as well. As always, much thanks to TrudiRose and the BatB workshop. Your patience is about to get rewarded! LOL:) And now on with the story..._

**Love Triangle?**

Beau sat brooding in his chair at the tavern, his ale untouched. All around him sounds of laughter and conversation filled the air, but he barely noticed it as he was in deep thought (not a usual occurrence for him) and a foul mood.

The other tavern patrons, realizing Beau's disposition, were giving him a wide berth. They knew what could happen when Beau was provoked, so they were leaving him alone for the time being. However they couldn't help but wonder why Beau was in such a state.

Luckily for them, the focus of Beau's concentration was not any of them, but Rosie. Much to Beau's frustration, two weeks had passed since the dance had been announced and he hadn't been able to get a hold of her. How was he supposed to tell her that she was the lucky girl he had chosen to take to the dance if she was nowhere to be found?

_Damn it! Where the hell is Rosie? _Beau thought. _Doesn't she know what an honor and privilege it is for a girl to go to the dance with me…ME! There's not a girl who wouldn't love to be in her position! They all want to be chosen by me! But the girl I've selected is nowhere to be found. She's got to make an appearance in public sometime soon. Where's she been keeping herself, other than the school and the LePages'? She CAN'T stay at those two places 24/7, _he grumbled to himself._ Humph! Not that it matters…I can't get anywhere near those two locations if I wanted to. It's been made clear to me that I'm not welcome at either place, especially at the school. HEY! That's it! That's why Rosie doesn't know that she's one very lucky girl! She's been spending all her time there instead of with me. So if I can get her alone - or for a back-up plan, get some one to tell her the great news - then she'll know! Why didn't I think of this before? I could have saved face by not having to wait this long!_

Buoyed by this revelation, Beau was suddenly in a better mood than he had been. He grinned thinking how lovely Rosie would look on his arm and how everyone else at the dance would admire them as the best looking couple. Plus once Rosie saw them together and saw how every one admired them, she would come to realize that they were meant to be together.

With these pleasant thoughts running through his mind, Beau downed his ale in a few gulps. _Boy all that thinking really makes a person thirsty_, he thought. _I think I need another drink. _He stood up and headed for the bar, very jovial and very much ready to be the center of attention again.

The tavern grew silent as one by one the patrons held their breath as Beau made his way to the counter. No one spoke or moved as he passed each table. As far as the other customers were concerned, Beau was in a nasty mood and no one – _NO ONE_ - wanted to set him off.

Even Gerard was wary of Beau as he approached. He knew all too well about the famous Laroche temper, having dealt with both Beau and his father many times before.

So it came to a surprise to every one to the place when they heard Beau say, "Gerard, my good man, a round of the finest brew for every one here on the house!"

Both loud cheers and sighs of relief through the tavern immediately met this announcement. Whatever black cloud Beau had been under had passed and he was back to his old self.

Beau grinned widely and downed another ale as he listened to the toasts and applause. This was where he was in his element, surrounded by people who admired him.

_Yep_, he thought, _it's good to be me!_ _Now let's see... _Beau paused and glanced around the tavern quickly. _Who should I pick to tell Rosie the glorious news? Of course this is just a precaution if I don't see her before the dance, which won't happen! Because we're talking about ME here!_

As Beau surveyed the room, he was quick to notice Bertrand, Louis, and Marie and Michele enter. With in a few seconds, Beau realized that Monique was not with them. He frowned. The sisters never went anywhere without one another. In fact, they were usually inseparable. So where was Monique?

Beau sat puzzling over this for a few moments, when it struck him. One of the four would be the one to tell Rosie just what a lucky girl she was. Beau grinned even wider.

_Now, let's see! Hmmm…who will it be?_ Beau thought.

As he glanced at the four, Beau ruled out Bertrand immediately. He hardly saw Rosie at all and there was no way in hell Beau was going to ask Dori to tell Rosie. After the dinner, it was clear that he was treading on thin ice with Dori regarding Rosie though he had no clue why.

With that thought, he quickly focused his attention to the LaFemme sisters. One look at them, and Beau decided that it would be foolish choice to pick either of them.

Apparently, they were mad about something and were not in the happiest of moods. Beau studied them for a minute and was glad he was out of their way, but then thought, _Hmm! Bet I could change their attitude if I got each of them alone for a few minutes._ He grinned wider at this thought.

But those thoughts quickly exited his mind as Beau refocused on the task at hand. _I'll have all the time I want to spend with the girls when I get this taken care of. But first Rosie needs to know this very important information, _he thought as his eyes lighted on Louis. He grinned. _Of course! Why didn't I think of Louis right away? He's the closest to Rosie and sees her the most out of everyone, outside of the LePages and the school. He's the one who I'll get to tell Rosie. This is perfect and then I can focus on the LaFemmes. I know they'll love that!_

Everything going Beau's way, he looked over at Louis, who was talking to Bertrand. It would be easy to get Louis alone and to do what he wanted. Beau knew very well that Louis wasn't the most confident of people and was eager to fit in with everyone. This would be a piece of cake and Rosie would be his soon enough.

As he headed in Louis and Bertrand's direction, Beau passed by Marie and Michele. Both let out an involuntary sigh of admiration. Beau, focused on his task, ignored them, but still wondered where Monique was.

As he passed he got the answer to his question when he heard one of the other patrons ask the two sisters, "So, Michele where's Monique been keeping herself? We haven't seen her around here at all lately."

Michele started to answer, but Marie interrupted her. "Why should we care about that traitor?"

Beau was intrigued and paused to hear the rest of the conversation.

"'_Traitor'_? I wouldn't exactly say that. Don't you think you're being a little hard on Monique, Marie?" Bertrand asked her. "After all, she's just doing her job when you stop and think about it. " Beau looked over at Bertrand, confused. Whatever was happening, it was plain to see that Bertrand knew all about it.

"_No, I_ _DON'T!_" Marie replied, emphatically. "Monique _is _a traitor, because she's been spending her time with Rosie, and not with us!"

On hearing this, Beau decided he would devote his full attention to the entire conversation. Perhaps he wouldn't have to rely on Louis after all and could corner Rosie when she was with Monique. Now to find out just where they were hiding and what they were doing.

"_Marie!_" Michele hissed. Marie blinked at the harsh tone in her sister's voice. "Get a hold of yourself! You're making a spectacle of yourself." Marie opened her mouth to protest, but Michele continued, "It's no secret that Monique designs and sews dresses for any customer, regardless of who it is. She's in very much demand this time of the year with the dance coming up and it just so happens that Rosie, unfortunately, is one of those customers. So we just have to deal with it for right now. Who knows? Maybe after the dance, Monique will regain her senses and start spending more time with us. Other than that, we can't do anything else about this, so stop bringing up this topic!"

Hearing the annoyance in her sister's voice, Marie closed her mouth and did as she was told. But she couldn't help but sulk at the same time. It was so unfair!

However Beau grinned when he heard this._ So that's where Rosie been spending her spare time – at the shop!_ _Obviously she must have heard that I want to take her to the dance, and she's busy getting herself dolled up!_

If she was having Monique make her dress for the dance, she was dealing with the one of the best. Beau knew how talented Monique was and what gorgeous clothing she made. He allowed him self a moment to fantasize about how Rosie would look in her Monique-styled dress and how she would look on his arm. Beau rubbed his hands in anticipation. He could hardly wait for the dance now.

_If Rosie is still that busy,_ _then it would be best for me to still have someone tell her, just in case I'm not able to._ With this thought in mind, he again headed in the direction of Louis.

Beau noticed that Louis was just sitting there, enjoying his ale. He hadn't taken part in the heated discussion at all, but that was normal. Louis was not usually confrontational and did what he could to keep his life and others around him as harmonious as possible. This boosted Beau's confidence even more that Louis would gladly relay the message to Rosie without questions.

Louis sat at the bar, nursing his drink. He couldn't focus on the conversation. His mind was on Rosie, but that was nothing new. She was in his thoughts a lot lately. He couldn't help it. Rosie was so warm and friendly and every time she saw him, she was always genuinely pleased to see him and wanted to know how he was doing. He thought back to the café after the first day of school was over. Rosie had still been there when he finished with the computers and was happy to accompany him to the coffee shop.

_We had such a great time just talking and laughing. She's so easy to talk to and I feel so comfortable when I'm around her. I'm usually so tongue-tied and shy around women, but with Rosie, it's different. She's not like the other girls, she really cares about me. Plus she's so smart and beautiful to boot! I wonder if…No she wouldn't go for a guy like me…or would she?_

Louis was so into his thoughts about Rosie that it came as a surprise when he heard his name being called. He glanced in the direction of where it came from and was startled to see Beau standing there right beside him. All thoughts of Rosie instantly vanished. The last thing Louis needed is Beau finding out that he had been thinking of the very woman Beau wanted.

"O-oh…h-hi, Beau!" Louis stammered. Mentally, he cursed himself, _You idiot! If you continue stuttering and stammering like this, of course Beau's going to think that something's up, so stop it!_ "Didn't see you there. How have you been?"

Beau gazed pensively at Louis for a few moments as though he knew what had been on Louis' mind. But to Louis, it seemed like an eternity. _Oh please, PLEASE don't let him suspect anything! _he thought.

Much to Louis's relief, Beau just took a swig of his drink. Louis let out a big sigh of relief. "Did you need something, Beau?"

"Yeah, as a matter as a fact I do, LeFiable," Beau told him. "I need you to do a favor for me."

"Sure, Beau," Louis said without hesitation.

He regretted it immediately when Beau went on, "Great! Knew I could count on you. Now the next time you see her, tell Rosie that she's the lucky girl who's going with me to the dance. You'll do that, won't you, LeFiable?"

Louis opened his mouth, then quickly shut it. His mind was racing. Why was Beau asking him to tell Rosie this? Louis knew that Rosie didn't care for Beau and always tried to avoid him. How could he do this to a friend like Rosie…but how he could go against Beau?

"Well?!" Beau asked impatiently. "Say something! You doing it or not?"

With Beau glaring at him, Louis gulped and took a deep breath. "Uh, no offense, Beau, but why are you asking me to do this? Why not ask Rosie yourself?"

"Because I can't find her! Or when I do try to see her, I'm thwarted! And I can't figure why!" Beau snapped. He took another gulp of ale. "There I said it! You happy?" He sank into stony silence.

The whole tavern fell into stunned silence. This was the first time that Beau had ever admitted in public that he wasn't successful at something. The patrons looked at each other and wondered how this was actually possible. Beau…admitting _defeat_?

Louis was speechless as well, but at least he knew why Beau was having trouble getting to Rosie. She had confided in him and told him that she had told the school personnel that unless it was an urgent emergency, she was not to be disturbed, especially if it was Beau.

The only two people who were thrilled at the turn of events were the LaFemme sisters. Just moments before they were discouraged because Beau hadn't shown any interest in them. Seeing that nothing was happening, the two had decided to leave. However when they heard Beau's admission, they were more than ecstatic.

"Ooh, Michele did you hear that?" Marie squealed, as they were exiting the tavern. "Beau's still available! Rosie hasn't gotten her claws on him yet. Isn't that great?"

"Yes!" Michele agreed. "But don't get too cocky yet, Marie. There's still two weeks to the dance. If he finds her, he can still ask her and she can still accept." Marie looked horrified at the thought. "So we've got to keep him away from her until the last possible minute which looks like it will fairly easy thanks to Rosie…"

"And then he'll have to ask one of us!" Marie finished, giggling. "Who'd have thought Rosie would be doing me a favor by hiding from Beau?"

"Yep, guess life's funny that way…Wait a minute, Marie!" Michele retorted, belatedly realizing what her sister had said. "What do you mean, _you_?! Beau's more likely to take me than he is you!"

"Ha! Speak for yourself, sister dear!" Marie snapped. "It's obvious that Beau is more into me. Why, didn't you see the way he looked at me the other day?"

"In your dreams! He was looking at me!" "No, he wasn't!" "Yes, he was!" The sisters continued their bickering outside as they headed towards their car.

Meanwhile, Louis was trying to get his courage up to speak to Beau. Beau still hadn't spoken since his admission of failure. The rest of the tavern was on edge as well.

"Uh, Beau?" Louis asked him hesitantly.

"What?" Beau snarled.

Louis gulped, but went on determinedly. "Why are you so insistent about asking Rosie to the dance? If Rosie wanted to go with you, I'm sure she would have gotten hold of you by now." Beau glared at him. "Look, w-why don't you ask one of the other girls to the dance? I know they'd love to go with you!"

"_Of course _they would, but I want only the best! And _that's_ Rosie! She's _the_ most beautiful of all of them," Beau replied. He gazed pointedly at Louis and asked mockingly, "Why the interest in Rosie all of a sudden, LeFiable? Got a little crush on her, do you?"

Louis' face reddened as he stammered, "W-wh-what if I do? C-can you blame me? Rosie's a great girl. She's kind, pretty, and interesting to talk to - she's every guy's dream."

Beau just stared at Louis for a few moments then starting laughing out loud. "Oh, that's a good one, LeFiable! Thinking that you have a chance with Rosie!" he managed to get out between snickers.

"What's so funny about that?" Louis asked, hurt. "Why couldn't it happen?"

Beau stopped laughing when he glanced at Louis, and realized that he was actually serious. "Oh come on! You can't mean that, LeFiable. You really think a girl like Rosie would go for someone like you when she's completely out of your league and deserves someone …"

"Like you?" Louis finished, sarcastically.

"Yes! Exactly!" Beau agreed. "Perfection should always be paired with perfection."

"Sure, Beau. Whatever you say," Louis quietly said. Finishing up his drink, he pulled out a few bills and laid them on the bar. With Beau going on and on about Rosie, Louis knew being here wouldn't help his mood. "But before you make that call, Beau, you'd better check with Rosie. She'll definitely have something to say about that. I'll see you tomorrow at the gym. Night."

Beau watched Louis leave the tavern and smirked. _Like he really has a chance with her! _Beau thought_ Ha! Not likely! _

Beau turned to Bertrand and asked, "Can you believe LeFiable? Boy, he's got some nerve."

"Actually _you're_ the one who's got some nerve, Beau," Bertrand told him.

Beau looked at Bertrand like he was crazy. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, Favre?"

"It's Rosie's decision who to go out with - not yours," Bertrand replied. "Cut Louis some slack, Beau. So he's got a crush on Rosie. What's it to you?"

"I've got it all over LeFiable. Looks, popularity, money, personality, and nice car. Everything that a girl wants in a man! So why's she spending more time with him than me? I just don't get it!" Beau complained.

_Jealous are we, Beau?_ Bertrand thought _Ever think that_ _maybe it's because he sees her as a person, and not a prize to be attained_.

"Think about it, Beau," Bertrand said. "Maybe it's because they're friends."

Beau breathed easier. "Good. For a moment, I thought you were going to tell me that Rosie actually had feelings for LeFiable." He snickered again at the thought.

"Knock it off, Beau," Bertrand angrily told him. "Not saying it will happen, but it's a possibility. Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

"Oh, come on, Favre!" Beau retorted. "It doesn't make sense. Rosie's so beautiful and LeFiable's…well, look at him!"

"Don't give me that old 'beauty should be with beauty' line of yours, Beau. That's not always the case." Beau sneered at the idea. "I'm telling you that love is not just based on a person's physical appearance," Bertrand explained. "A long lasting relationship is based on trust and respect."

"Spare me the lecture, Favre!" Beau rolled his eyes. "The ladies all _LOVE_ me! I'm doing fine in that department."

Bertrand snorted. "Are you really, Beau? Doesn't look like it to me. You go out with so many women, it's hard to keep track of. I don't think you've ever had a serious relationship like Dori's and mine in your life. Which is a shame, because there's nothing like the love of a good woman."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard this all before!" Beau dismissed the idea. "My life couldn't be any better and I don't need you or anyone else telling me otherwise."

Bertrand studied Beau for a few seconds and then shook his head. "You say that now, but the way you're going, Beau, one day you'll find yourself all alone wishing you had that special someone."

"Me? Alone? With my good looks?" Beau scoffed. "That'll never happen! What girl wouldn't want a piece of this?" He gestured at himself.

_Right now I can think of one girl who wouldn't, Beau,_ Bertrand thought. It was obvious that Beau wasn't taking him seriously so Bertrand decided it was time to head home. "I'll see you later, Beau."

"Hold up there, Favre. Where you heading off to? The night's just getting started," Beau told him.

"Home to Dori and Roy," Bertrand replied.

"What's the matter, Favre?" Beau jeered. "Dori got you under a curfew or something?"

Bertrand just stared at him for a moment and then said, "You're really something, Beau! You know that?"

Beau puffed out his chest and grinned.Why thank you, Bertrand!"

"That's not a compliment, Beau!" Bertrand retorted in disgust. He downed the last of his drink. "Night."

Beau watched Bertrand exit the tavern. It wasn't until then that he realized what Bertrand had actually meant. _Think you're so smart, do you, Favre? Well, I'm doing just fine. _He turned to Gerard. "Give me another ale!"

------------------------------

In the meantime, Louis had arrived home. Though he tried hard not to, he couldn't help thinking about what Beau had said to him regarding Rosie.

As he settled down on the couch with his laptop, Louis thought, _Beau's right. I'm just fooling myself. What chance do I have with Rosie? Rosie's unbelievable and I'm not. Just look at her. She's talented, smart, beautiful…and…and…I'm definitely not in the same class as her. Far from it._

He sighed as he glanced around his living room. He should be happy, considering that he was 29 and owned his own house and was a successful and well-respected businessman. However the fact he was not married or even close to it bothered him. _When_ would that special girl come into his life?

Knowing the answer, Louis just shook his head. His gaze continued until it came to rest on a western scene hanging on his wall. Seeing this, Louis' spirits were lifted as Rosie came to mind. She had mailed the print to him as a gift after he had mentioned that he was interested in the history of the Wild West. He had been touched at her kind gesture when he received it. Whenever he looked at it, it always reminded him of Rosie and her thoughtfulness.

As he thought of Rosie, he smiled._ No matter how I'm feeling, she's always there in someway for me with a kind word and her smile…just the sight of her brightens up my day. She means the world to me._

Feeling much better than he had been just a few minutes ago, an idea suddenly formed in his head. _Beau wanted me to tell Rosie that she was going to the dance with him. Well, I could still tell her that; however instead of Beau taking her, it'd be me. Why not!? I'm just as good as Beau and…and…Rosie likes me better. __That does it! Next time I see her I'll ask her…that is… if she doesn't say no._

_-------------------------------------_

It took Louis more than a few tries to ask Rosie. Every time he thought he had gotten enough courage to ask her, something would either interrupt them or he'd suddenly get nervous and stammer and run off leaving Rosie confused.

After the third time it happened, Louis became determined to ask Rosie to the dance. After all the dance was the following weekend. He didn't have much time left. So a few days later he called Rosie and asked if he could stop by the LePages the very next day, because he had something to ask her.

So at six the next evening, Louis headed over to the LePages to see Rosie. When he got there, Louis took a deep breath and thought, _Okay_, _here we go! This is it! Hopefully this time will be the charm._

He knocked on the door and was greeted by Celeste. "Why, hello, Louis! Come in and make yourself comfortable. Rosie said you'd be stopping by. I'll get her for you."

"Thanks, Mme. LePage." Louis stepped into the house and was greeted by a delectable aroma. "Boy, something sure smells good in here! "

"It does, doesn't it? Credit Rosie for it. She's cooking for us tonight," Celeste replied, before disappearing into the kitchen.

Louis sniffed the air again. Whatever Rosie was preparing, no doubt it would be fantastic. But then everything she seemed to do was quality. He couldn't help but do some wistful thinking while waiting for Rosie.

_Boy, Rosie's so talented and so nice, too!_ he thought._ The man who wins her heart will be one lucky guy!_

Within moments, Rosie was greeting him with a smile. Louis smiled back and thought, _A smile like that will lift anyone's spirits. _

"Louis, hi! It's good to see you again." Rosie told him as she hugged him. She was always happy to see him. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine!" Louis replied, as they broke the embrace. As he stepped away from Rosie, he thought, _When I'm around you, everything's more than fine! _Standing so close to her, he couldn't help but breathe in deeply. _Gosh, she smells so good! Like, like…roses!_

"Great. Now what brings you by?" Rosie asked, sitting down on the couch. "I must admit I'm a little curious here."

"Oh y-yeah! That!" Louis nervously chuckled. He looked at Rosie and gulped. Could he really do this and ask her to the dance? He took a deep breath and asked, "I was wondering…if…if…if …you could tell me what you're making? It smells wonderful!"

Mentally he cursed himself. _You are a spineless wimp, you know that? Beau wouldn't hem and haw around Rosie. He 'd tell her point blank that she's going with him and that's what you should do! Just say 'Rosie, you ARE going to the dance with me and that's that! I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!' _Then he just shook his head. _No, you can't do that. Not to Rosie and not to yourself. It's not who you are. You just have to ask her…later._

"Oh, thank you, Louis!" Rosie beamed. "Well, I'm treating the LePages to the traditional Middle American dinner. You know, baked chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn on the cob, buttermilk biscuits, and to top it off homemade apple pie," she laughed." It's not a low cal meal by any means, but it's what we call comfort food back home."

Louis' mouth was watering. "It all sounds so good!" he declared.

Rosie softly laughed. "Thanks! If you want to join us for dinner, you're more than welcome to." Louis was startled and started to protest, but Rosie quickly put him at ease. "I know both Stephen and Celeste would welcome the company and I would, too."

"Well in that case, I accept! Besides how can I say 'no' to an invitation like that?" Louis happily replied.

To his delight, Rosie beamed, and said, "Great! Then I'll tell Celeste to set another place at the table." She headed towards the kitchen and disappeared for a moment. She quickly returned to tell Louis, "Dinner should almost be ready. We're just waiting on the biscuits, so it won't be long at all."

Stephan arrived home, and soon dinner was served.

They all sat down and enjoyed the good food, company and conversation. Rosie received many compliments on the meal from everyone, especially her apple pie. Rosie loved the slow pace of a French meal. The French seemed to enjoy their meal, taking the time to savor the food that they were eating, unlike Americans who were in such a hurry.

After the dinner was over, Celeste shooed Rosie out of the kitchen saying she had done enough for the day. Seeing his chance, Louis suggested that he and Rosie step outside and enjoy the warm fall evening. They settled down on the LePages' porch swing.

Louis looked at Rosie and breathed deeply. _Okay,_ he thought, _this is it! You're not going to chicken out this time!_

"Rosie," he began and then stopped. Rosie glanced at him. "Rosie, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a little while."

"Yes?" Rosie inquired.

"Well, there's the dance coming up, and – and-I-was-wondering-if-if-you'd-go-with-me?" Louis quickly asked her.

Rosie's eyes widened for a second and then she smiled at Louis. His heart leapt in his throat. "I'd loved to, Louis."

Louis was on cloud nine. _She said yes! SHE SAID YES!!!_ he wanted to shout out to the world. He gazed at Rosie with the biggest smile on his face.

Rosie couldn't help but smile back at him. How could a person not react to such joy?

"Great!" said Louis. "I'll pick you up here next Saturday around seven o'clock…or we could go to dinner before the dance, if you want to. I'd pick you up at six instead."

"I'd really like that," Rosie told him. "It'd give us some alone time, because let's face it we really haven't much of that since I got here." She gazed at Louis, who was beaming. Rosie grinned. "You know, Louis, I'm really looking forward to next Saturday. I have a feeling that it's a night that both of us won't forget."

"Me too, Rosie! Me too!" Louis replied. _Who knows_, he thought_, it might be the beginning of something._ He glanced down at his watch. "Wow, it's getting late. I'd better head home. Thanks for the dinner and everything, Rosie. I'll see you around."

"Good night, Louis. Thanks for asking me to the dance," Rosie told him, clearly relieved. "Now I don't have to worry about Beau pestering me for a date. I can tell him that you're taking me. Besides I'd much rather go with you than Beau any day."

"B-Beau?" All of a sudden, it hit him. Louis panicked and gulped at the thought of Beau finding out that it would be Louis and not him taking Rosie. Louis grimaced. Beau would be after his hide. Louis bit his lip and thought quickly. How could he forestall Beau finding out?

"Louis?" Rosie interrupted his thoughts. He looked up at her. Rosie had a look of concern on her face. "Is anything the matter?"

"Uh, Rosie," Louis hesitantly spoke. "About that…I'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this to Beau. That is if you see him before the dance. But if you can avoid him, that would be even better."

Inwardly he was praying, _Oh, please…please… PLEASE, God, don't let him find out! I'm begging you!_

Rosie looked surprised at the request, but didn't say anything about it. Instead she told him, "Sure, Louis. I can do that. After all I've been doing it for most of the time I've been here. What's one more week? Besides, Beau's schedule and mine are totally different. I don't see how we could run into each other anyway, since I'm at school or here most of the time."

"Great, thanks!" Louis breathed easier. "Well…Good night, Rosie."

"Night!" Rosie hugged him and waved to him as he left.

And with that, Louis headed home floating on air.

Rosie watched Louis till she couldn't see the taillights of his car. She turned to go into the house and then stopped, looking back in the direction where Louis headed.

His invitation to the dance had been totally unexpected, but she'd been delighted. She liked Louis a lot, and it would be fun to go with him.

But now, as she thought about it, she began to worry. Louis obviously had romantic feelings for her, or at least a crush. Louis was a great guy, but could she really come to see him as more than just a friend? And if she did, and it ultimately didn't work out, would it ruin their friendship? The last thing each of them needed to be was to get hurt. Rosie wasn't sure she could ever do that to Louis and their friendship.

Rosie sighed and then shook it off. _Alright, Reed_, she told herself, _quit it. You're reading way too much into it. It's just one dance. That's all. Nothing more than that._

Satisfied for the time being, Rosie headed into the house for the night. But as she did, a small part of her couldn't help but think, _Love can happen any time, anywhere especially when you least expect it. Just look at Belle and Christophe!_


	14. TROUBLE

_**A/N -** As promised, here's my next chapter. It's actually a continuation of the last one, but I had to split it up. Thanks again to the BatB Workshop and to TrudiRose. Y'all rock! And now...back to the story:)_

**T-R-O-U-B-L-E**

"Look, Sophie! We're in luck," whispered Corinne, one of Rosie's fellow teachers, the following Monday morning. "Rosie's by herself in the teacher's lounge."

"Oh, good, now she has to answer our questions!" said Sophie, another one of the first year teachers. The two younger teachers had been dying to find out why Rosie had been avoiding the most eligible bachelor in town for the last month.

"_Bonjour_, Rosie!" Corinne Glaisyer, a pleasant looking young woman with bobbed auburn hair, called to her as they entered the lounge.

Rosie looked up from reading and immediately smiled. "Hi, Corinne! Hi, Sophie! How are you two doing?"

Sophie Tasse, a bubbly short honey blonde with a pixie cut, smiled back. "Good. How are you, Rosie?"

"Really excited, actually." Rosie confessed.

She could hardly wait for the dance, now that it was so close. Plus her dress was absolutely stunning. Monique had done an absolutely fantastic job on it. Rosie smiled at the thought of getting all dressed up.

Corinne and Sophie looked at each other. Maybe they didn't have to ask her about Beau after all. Rosie did look really happy.

"So, any particular reason why you're excited?" Sophie ventured.

"The upcoming dance, of course," Rosie told her. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Yes, us too! Both Sophie and I are ready for it. We've got the dates and the dresses," Corinne agreed. "_Soooo..._does this mean that a certain very sought after and very eligible handsome man finally caught up with you and asked you to the dance?"

Rosie blinked. "Beau? No, I actually haven't seen him for quite some time. Why?"

_And I plan to keep it that way_,she thought. Though she didn't know how she was exactly going to manage _that_ at the dance.

Sophie and Corrine exchanged glances, and then Sophie blurted out, "Oh, come on, Rosie! What gives? We want to know why you're avoiding Beau. It doesn't make any sense! He's drop dead gorgeous! What girl wouldn't want that?"

"_Me_, for one!" Rosie stated.

The two young teachers stared flabbergasted at her. They couldn't believe it. A woman who didn't want Beau? It was unthinkable!

Perplexed, Corinne pushed, "But, Rosie, why? He's the ultimate heartthrob, the perfect male specimen. That physique! Those looks!" She sighed dreamily.

"That attitude!" Rosie countered, rolling her eyes. "I'll admit Beau's handsome, but…but his attitude ruins it for me. His type does nothing for me. He's _so_ full of himself, walking around like he's God's gift to women. I need a man with more substance and who respects me for who I am, not pursues me for what I look like. I want a partner for life, not a player."

"Good for you, thinking that way, Rosie!" a new voice spoke up. "More of the young women in this village should feel like you do."

All three turned around to see who the speaker was. Mme. LeFiable stood outside the lounge.

"_Bonjour_, Mme. LeFiable!" the younger teachers told her.

"_Bonjour_, ladies," Mme. LeFiable replied in return. She smiled at Rosie. "So I hear that you're going to go to the dance with Louis."

Rosie smiled back. "Yes, I am. He asked me last Saturday night." She laughed softly. " Louis was very sweet about it, too. A complete gentleman about the whole thing."

"No wonder he's been walking on air the last couple days," Mme. LeFiable murmured to herself. "I'm very pleased to hear that. I'm sure you two will have a good time at the dance." She nodded to the other two. "Well, have a good day, ladies."

She then continued down the hallway on the way to her classroom. Both Corrine and Sophie ran to the door and watched her go until she was out of sight and well out of earshot. They then swirled around to face Rosie.

"_LOUIS_! You're going with _LOUIS_!" Corrine and Sophie yelled. This was getting even more unbelievable by the second. First Rosie admitting that she wasn't interested in Beau, and now this!

"Rosie, why would you go with him when Beau obviously wants to take you?" Sophie implored.

"Because Louis is a good friend and I know we'll have a great time at the dance. Besides he asked me first and that's only fair to him, isn't it?" Rosie asked them.

The two could only nod wordlessly, but Rosie saw that they still didn't believe her. She looked at them. "I know it's hard to comprehend me not wanting Beau, but girls, believe me. The last thing I want to do is get involved with someone like Beau. Good looking, yes…but he's a heartbreaker and I just don't want to go down that road again."

Before the two of them could say anything else, Rosie stood up and told them, "Looks like it's almost time for class. I'll see you two later. Bye!"

Rosie left the lounge and headed to her classroom, ready to start the day. Sophie and Corrine watched her and then parted ways to head to their own classes, but as they did, their minds were reeling with the thought of Rosie saying that she was not interested at all in Beau. How could this be?

----------------------------------

Two evenings later, Beau was headed towards the tavern from his gym in another foul mood. He needed a drink badly. Three days to the dance and he still had no date! Rosie was nowhere to be found and to top it off, he still hadn't heard from Louis on whether Rosie would go with him or not. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Louis for a while. Beau wondered where Louis could have possibly disappeared.

He was so into his thoughts, that the laughter of children startled him. He stopped and looked in the direction of where it came from. A group of children were exiting the bookshop, a usual occurrence. Beau thought nothing of it until much to his pleasant surprise, he spotted Rosie among them. She was outside waving goodbye to the children as they met up with their parents.

His mood improved dramatically and he smiled. Well, now this was more like it! He rubbed his hands together. Rosie wouldn't be able to avoid him. Finally things were going _his_ way. He decided the tavern could wait and made his way over to where Rosie was.

The last child had left, and Rosie turned to speak with Stephan, who had also stepped outside. "Thanks, Stephan. I really appreciate you keeping the bookstore open a little later than usual for Story Time."

Stephan laughed. "You're quite welcome, Rosie. Always glad to help a new generation discover books. I'm impressed at the turnout tonight. There were a lot of kids here."

"Well, I did put up a lot of flyers for this at the school and around town." Rosie said, sheepishly. "I just hope it stays that way and that the kids will stay enthused about the whole thing."

"With you heading it, of that I have no doubt!" Stephan assured her.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Stephan." Rosie smiled. "Now do you need me to help you lock up?"

"Thanks for the offer, Rosie, but I don't think I will. I'll see you back home, all right?" Stephan told her.

"Okay, good night, Stephan," Rosie replied.

She waved and then turned to head home. Stephan reentered the bookstore, locking the door behind him as he did.

Beau grinned at these turn of events. Rosie and him alone, at last – with no interruptions? It was too good to be true, but Beau knew he wasn't dreaming. He called Rosie's name to get her attention.

"_Hellooo_, Rosie!" Rosie turned in the direction of the voice and groaned.

It was Beau. Not only that, he had a very triumphant expression on his face as he was walking towards her. She glanced around. _Damn!_ There was no way out of this. Beau had her cornered. Plus, there was no way she could pretend not to have seen him. There was nothing else to do but talk to him. Part of her hoped that he wouldn't bring a certain subject up, but that look on his face told her otherwise. She inwardly cringed at the sight of it.

"Oh, hi, Beau! How are you?" Rosie replied, trying to delay the inevitable.

"Good, good!"Beau replied._ Actually, I'm great, but you could make me even better once you accept my invitation to the dance. _"And how are you, Rosie?" He smiled at her.

"Actually, Beau, I'm really busy right now," Rosie told him. "So if you'll excuse me, I've got to be getting home."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's your hurry now?" Beau blocked Rosie's path. "Can't spare a minute to talk to me?"

"Well, maybe for a few minutes," Rosie conceded. "But that's all!"

Beau grinned. "How about you and me heading over to the tavern and getting a drink? What ever you want!" _And that includes me!_

"Ooh…I think I'm going to have to pass on that, Beau. Sorry!" Rosie smiled apologetically. "But maybe some other time. I really have to get home you know."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade her to join him, Beau decided to cut right to the chase. "Well then I guess I'll take you up on that offer this Saturday when you go to the dance with me."

"Wh-what?" Rosie faltered, reeling at the turn of events. She had known he was going to ask her, but not this way.

"Saturday night. You and me at the dance…together," Beau stated matter of fact.

"Beau…" Rosie started. Beau grinned, waiting for the "Of course, I'll go with you!" but it never came.

"Beau, as _thoughtful_ as that invitation was, I'm sorry, but I'm already going to the dance with…some one else," Rosie amended quickly.

"_What!?" _It was Beau's turn to be stunned. He just stood there speechless for a few moments, then it began to sink in. He narrowed his eyes and demanded _"Who?_"

Taken aback at the harshness in Beau's voice, Rosie blinked. She hadn't expected a reaction like this. No wonder Louis had asked her to steer clear of Beau. She inwardly grimaced. What to do? Beau was waiting for an answer, but the last thing she wanted to do was to betray Louis.

Torn, Rosie was silent for a few seconds and then the answer revealed itself. She smiled in relief, looked at Beau and simply told him, "You'll find out at the dance, Beau."

Beau wasn't prepared to hear this. He scowled and asked again, "Who's taking you?"

"Beau…" Rosie sighed. "I just told you. Now will you let me by, please? I have to get home. The LePages are waiting for me."

"Rosie, I'm not playing games here," Beau warned her, his frustration showing. "I'll ask you one more time. Who's taking my place?"

Rosie just stared at him incredulously. What would it take to get it through Beau's thick head that that was all the answer he was getting for the time being?

Exasperated, Rosie retorted," What is this? The Inquisition?" Beau looked puzzled, having slept through most of his History classes. "Beau, just let it go. I'm _not_ going to say anymore than what I've said already. Now, goodnight!"

Not believing what he was hearing, Beau stood there speechless. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Rosie pushed past him and quickly headed home.

Beau turned and watched her go, scowling. The farther she moved away from him, the angrier he became. Who did Rosie think she was? No one told Beau no, especially some foreign newcomer – no matter how pretty she happened to be! Whoever was taking her would feel his wrath at the dance!

It was a good thing that no one was in the vicinity, for Beau was not the best of company. He came to the realization that there was nothing more he could do about it for the time being. Not liking this fact and really needing a drink now, Beau once again headed towards the tavern in a _very_ foul mood.

All the while, two onlookers had watched the proceedings with great interest. Marie and Michele glanced at each other and grinned broadly when they heard Rosie tell Beau that she was already going to the dance with a mystery man.

Marie turned to her _sister_ and squealed, "Did you hear that? Rosie turned him down! That means he's still available!"

"I know!" Michele replied, her eyes shining. "That means I still have a chance!"

Without a word, she started towards the tavern and Beau. Marie realizing what her sister was up to, chased after her. "Oh no, you don't!" she cried. "He's mine!"

------------------------------

_Next up - the DANCE! Stayed tuned! ;)_


	15. The Dance

_**The Dance**_

_**A/N **__- It's been quite a while since I last updated this story and for that I apologize. I never meant to go so long between updates and always planned on finishing "Everything". As everyone knows, muses can be fickle when it comes to writing and or easily distracted. Now that my muse has returned, you can expect definitely quicker updates. A big huge thank you to TrudiRose for betaing this latest chapter and for also encouraging me to continue writing. I appreciate all your help. Also thanks to the Writer's Workshop. It feels so good to be writing again!_

_And now without further ado, the latest chapter..._

Sitting at the dresser, Rosie was applying the last of her make-up when there was a knock on her door. She turned and replied, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Celeste. Smiling, she stepped inside the room and told Rosie, "I just wanted to let you know that Louis just arrived and…Oh, my!" Celeste paused as she looked at the younger woman. "You look so lovely, Rosie!"

"Thanks, Celeste," Rosie said, slightly blushing. "Would you let him know that I'm just about ready, please? I should only be a few more minutes."

"Certainly, dear," Celeste told her, glancing at Rosie one more time before she closed the door.

Rosie nodded to her before she went back to getting ready for her night. As she brought her lipstick to her lips, she paused and glanced at the door. She put her lipstick down and wondered if Louis and she would work. After all, they were great friends and had a good time when in each other's company.

Plus Louis was kind and intelligent and thoughtful. Did Louis think of her that way? Could she feel the same way about him? She shook her head and frowned. He probably just saw her as a friend and that was it. After all, why complicate a great friendship with romance?

Rosie sighed and shook her head again. Refocused, she started to apply the last little bit of make up on her face.

Entering the living room, Celeste told Louis, "Rosie is just about ready, Louis."

"Thanks, Mme. LePage," Louis replied.

Celeste smiled at him and then exited the room, heading into the kitchen. Louis looked down at the yellow rose he had brought for Rosie. _Gee, I hope she likes it_, he thought.

As he looked down on the rose, he also glanced down at his suit, going over it for any last minute adjustments to be made. While he was no Beau, he did want to look presentable when Rosie saw him. It was only fair to her as she always seemed to be so well put together.

As e was straightening his tie and his cuffs,he heard Rosie's voice. "Hi, Louis. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Oh, don't worry about it….Rosie…." Louis looked up to see Rosie standing there and was speechless. She was absolutely stunning in a spaghetti-strapped, mid-length burgundy dress. Monique had done an amazing job with it.

He stood there for a few moments, then finally snapped out of it. "Y-you look beautiful, Rosie."

"Thanks, Louis," Rosie told him. "You look very handsome as well. Are we ready?"

"Yes," he replied. "I thought we could go out to dinner first and then go to the dance."

"I'd like that very much. " She smiled at him.

"Perfect! But first I have something for you," Louis said shyly. He held out the rose. "This is for you. I-I hope you like it. I know it doesn't match your dress…"

Rosie accepted the rose with a smile. "I just love yellow roses. They're so bright and cheery. Thanks, Louis. I love it! I know just where it'll go." Quickly glancing at a mirror, she arranged the rose in her hair. "Now, I'm all ready for tonight."

Louis offered his arm to her. Bidding both Stephen and Celeste good bye, they told them they'd see the older couple at the dance later and headed out the door.

"Damn it, where the hell is she?" Beau paced and stopped and then paced some more.

Situated at a prominent table so that he could see everyone and be seen, he was getting frustrated. Nearly the whole town was there, but as of that moment, there was no sign of Rosie. Even the LePages had arrived. He had been sure she would have come with them.

"Calm down, Beau," Bertrand told him. "She's coming, don't worry. Besides, don't you already have a date or two?"

"Yeah!" Marie and Michele echoed. "Why do you need Rosie when we're both here? We're just as good as she is, if not better."

Taking a sip of his beer, Beau just grunted in response and refocused on keeping a look out for Rosie. Bertrand just shook his head and struck up a conversation with Andre. Both Marie and Michele sulked and sunk down into their seats, upset that Beau wasn't paying attention to them but still focused on the absent Rosie.

Meanwhile Dori and Monique had stepped away and were in the washroom, touching up their make up. After reapplying lipstick, Monique turned to Dori. "Where is Rosie anyways? It's not like her to be so late. She knew the time of the dance, right?"

"Yes, she knows, but I'm thinking the reason she's so late is because of who her date is," Dori replied, brushing her hair. "If she was coming alone, she would have been here already with the LePages."

"Care to spill that information?" Monique asked eagerly. "Who's her date?"

"Louis….but you didn't hear that from me," Dori told her, after glancing to see if they were alone.

"Louis?!" Monique just gaped at her friend. "Does Beau know this?"

"Nooo…..so when he and Rosie arrive, that'll be the first time he's heard anything about it," Dori admitted.

"Oooh….Beau's going to flip! When did she tell you about this and who else knows?"

"A couple days ago and I think only a few people, like the LePages, Bertrand and myself. She promised Louis that she wouldn't tell too many people just in case it got back to Beau."

"That's not going to help him tonight," Monique told her. "You see how aggravated he is now. Just think of what Beau's reaction will be when he sees them together!"

"Well…they're not 'together' together," Dori replied. "They're going as friends."

Monique was skeptical of her answer, and let Dori know it. "It won't matter to Beau. How are we going to keep them apart? He'll be after both of them, Rosie for the dress and Louis, to beat the tar out of."

Unable to think of anything else, Dori just replied, "Only thing we can do is to keep an eye on those three and have both Andre and Bertrand do the same."

Knowing that was all they could do, the two headed back to their dates and waited for Louis and Rosie to show. When they reached the table, Beau glanced over at them momentarily, then went back to keeping lookout for Rosie.

As she sat down next to Andre, Monique felt a momentary twinge of panic as Beau looked her way. Why, she wasn't sure. After all, she wasn't Rosie and she knew that that she definitely wouldn't be arriving with Louis. Unable to figure it out, she shook it off and decided to enjoy the evening.

A few moments later, Beau exclaimed, "About damn time LeFiable got here! Maybe then I can get some answers from him about Rosie not being my date."

"How do you know Louis is here, Beau? Did you…?" Andre started to ask before he was cut off.

"Saw his car drive in," Beau answered gruffly. "That's how."

The group just looked at each other, knowing that unless Beau got his way it would not be a pleasant evening. The two that were the most worried were Dori and Monique. Deciding he was thirsty, Beau got up and headed toward the bar to get another beer.

It was then, when he was at the bar, looking the other way, that Louis finally entered the hall with Rosie on his arm. As they did, Louis was so focused on Rosie's well being, he didn't notice the sudden drop in volume and the stares from his peers. As they passed, most of the younger people stared and then glanced in Beau's direction.

Louis and Rosie passed by Celeste and Stephan's table, greeting them before heading to where the rest of the gang was. Rosie noticed that while everyone greeted them with smiles, some of them were a little nervous. She thought it odd, but didn't give it more than a moment's pause. Louis didn't even notice it since he was on cloud nine.

"Hi, everyone," Rosie greeted them, sitting in the chair Louis pulled out for her. "How is everyone this evening?"

A chorus of "Great…how are you?" and "You look fantastic, Rosie!" some of the answers from the rest of the table save for Marie and Michele. Once they had realized that Louis was Rosie's date for the night, they burst out laughing, which earned them a couple of glares from Monique and Dori. Still that was not enough to quiet them and they continued laughing.

On his way back from the bar, Beau heard the laughing and then spotted Rosie. He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the breathtakingly gorgeous vision. For a moment all he could do was stare at her, too stunned to do anything else. A few more seconds it was all it took for him to recover and he headed towards the table briskly, only stopped by a comment he overheard Rosie say to Marie: "True my colors don't match, but the rose was from Louis when he came to pick me up. Wasn't it sweet?"

_Louis?! Louis is Rosie's date for the evening?!_ _That traitor!_

His fury awakened, Beau's gaze immediately sought his victim out. He didn't have far to look. Louis was seated to the right of Rosie quite comfortably. Beau's eyes narrowed, and he stared at Louis with a death glare.

As he took a drink out of his cup, Bertrand happened to glance in the direction of Beau and what he saw chilled him to the bone. He nudged Louis. "Err..Louis?"

"Yeah, Bertrand?" Louis answered, unaware of the target he had become.

"I wouldn't be going off alone, if I were you anytime soon," his friend told him.

"Why…." Louis started to ask, but Bertrand coughed "Beau!" under his breath. Louis froze. This was what he feared the most. "Where?!" he asked, panicked, and trying not to look in that direction so as not to attract any more attention.

"Staring at you and Rosie, but mostly you, with a very p.o.'d expression right now," came the answer. "About 50 meters from our table, I'd say…and coming closer." Once glance at Louis' face spurred Bertrand into action. "Andre!"

"Yeah, Bertrand?" his friend asked .

"Help me get more drinks for the table, would you?" Bertrand stood up. Andre followed his lead. "More red wine for everyone, then?"

When everyone at the table had said yes, Betrand and Andre headed towards the bar, with Bertrand hissing "Help me keep Beau away from the table!" to his friend. Andre just looked at his buddy strangely, before Bertrand pointed out the very irate Beau, who was rapidly approaching. Seeing the look of Beau's face, Andre gulped and realized immediately why Bertrand had enlisted him. They met Beau half way from the table and it took both of them to pull him aside.

As they tried to drag him off the side, Beau exploded at them. "What the hell are you guys doing? Let me go! I gotta teach that traitor a lesson. No one steals Beau LaRoche's girl and gets away with it!"

"Would you just shut up, Beau?" Bertrand snapped at him. That earned him a glare, but Bertrand just ignored it. "Rosie's not your girl, Beau. She's not Louis' girl, either. They just came to the dance as friends, so just accept it."

This news helped soothe Beau, but only a little, and Bertrand saw that. "Look, we're at the dance. Let's try to have fun and get along, all right? You'll have plenty of chances to dance with Rosie tonight. It's not like Louis is her only dance partner for the evening."

This thought helped even more, but Beau was still irked. "I can't understand it! Rosie's _so_ damn _hot_ so why's she here with that geek? She should have come with me so we'd be the hottest, most perfect couple here!"

_Obviously you weren't listening to me just a few seconds ago, Beau, _Bertrand thought. _Because if you had been, you would've already known why_.

"They came as friends, Beau," Bertrand told him again. "Just as friends."

When Beau heard this, his mood lightened and he immediately began to think of how to get Rosie away from Louis. Bertrand recognized the change in his demeanor. "Beau, I'm telling you let it go. Just drop it and don't do anything rash, okay? Don't go ruining the night for Rosie or especially for Louis."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Favre," Beau dismissed him. "Anything you say. We're done for now, right? Cause there's a fox over there who needs my attention."

Seeing that Beau's attention was elsewhere, Bertrand sighed. "Yeah, but remember what I said."

Beau didn't hear the last sentence as he made a beeline straight for Rosie. Bertrand and Andre just looked at each other and then followed Beau back to the table where they hoped to keep the peace somehow.

Once Beau set his sights on a girl, there was usually nothing anyone could do to distract him from her. So it only took him a few seconds to get to the table where Rosie and the rest of the group were. When Louis realized how close Beau was, he glanced nervously around the table to see if anyone would help him, but then, to his relief, he realized that Beau was not focused on him, but on his date. Still, he kept a wary eye out for Beau's anger as did the rest of the gang, except for Marie and Michele, who were glaring at Rosie for apparently stealing their man for the moment.

"Hello, Rosie," Beau addressed the beauty in front of him, giving her a once over. "You're looking especially stunning tonight."

"Why…thank you, Beau," Rosie replied politely. "You look very handsome tonight."

"I know, right?" Beau preened and posed for her. "Let's cut to the chase, babe. You should be on my arm tonight, not _his_. I can show you a really good time, way better than your so-called date could."

Before Rosie or anyone could respond, an unexpected voice was heard. "N-now….now wait a minute, Beau!" Louis spoke up. "You leave Rosie alone. She decided to come with me tonight…so just respect her decision."

Beau turned and just glared at him. He leaned in towards Louis, which made Louis gulp and shrink back a little. "I'd watch it if I were you, LeFiable. No one crosses Beau and gets away with it!"

Seeing that he couldn't do more, Beau then turned away and stomped off, to the relief of everyone except Marie and Michele, who tagged after him. Louis heaved a huge sigh of relief, but he knew he wasn't out of hot water even with friends surrounding.

Trying to take his mind off what happened, Rosie turned to him and told him. "Don't let him get to you, Louis. I'm glad I came here with you tonight. Now let's dance! Isn't that the reason we're all here tonight?"

This was met with a resounding "Yes!" from around the table. Before he could protest, Rosie pulled Louis on the floor and started dancing. Her enthusiasm was infectious and Louis couldn't help but dance along. Both Dori and Bertrand and Andre and Monique followed suit and joined them on the dance floor.

For the next few hours all were having a great time dancing the night away. Not only did Rosie dance with Louis, but she danced with Andre, Bertrand, Stephan and others, learning a few new dances along the way. As the evening progressed, the more she sparkled and shone. It did not go unnoticed to others…especially by one man, who waited for the perfect opportunity to get her alone.

He saw the chance when Louis, during a break in the dancing, was getting drinks for himself and Rosie. True, he could go after Rosie now, but no one else was around. Beau grinned. This was the perfect opportunity to teach LeFiable a lesson. After he got through with Louis, he would learn not to mess around with Beau's girl. He made his way over to the bar and his unsuspecting victim.

Blissfully unaware of what Beau was scheming; Louis took the two glasses of wine from the bartender for Rosie and himself. Thanking Gerard, he turned around to head back to the table and ran smack into Beau. Louis automatically started to apologize to whomever he had bumped into, but his words died in his throat as he stared at Beau, who was glaring at him.

"Thought you were smart, didn't you, LeFiable?" Beau sneered at him. "Well…it's just you and me, so what are you gonna do now?" Gerard started to say something when Beau cut him off. "Stay out of this! This is just between LeFiable and me. Do I make myself clear?"

All the bartender could do was glance at Louis sympathetically and go back to bartending. Seeing that he had no escape, all Louis could do was tell Beau, "Now…now can't we just talk about this?"

"The time for talking's past, LeFiable," Beau snarled. "Should have thought about that before you asked Rosie to the dance." He moved even closer to Louis. "Any last words?"

Fortunately for Louis, luck was smiling on him, for at that moment a very angry female voice spoke out. "BEAU! Leave him alone!"

Both of them turned to see a very irate Rosie coming towards them. She had been making her way over to the bar to get something to drink and happened to see Beau antagonizing Louis.

For a moment, Beau was distracted at the sight of Rosie. All he could focus on was how incredibly sexy she looked. _DAMN, she's hot!_

Rosie finally reached the bar and stepped between the two men. After giving a scathing look to Beau, her first concern was for her friend. "Are you all right, Louis?"

"I-I think so," Louis managed to get out. He noticed that Beau was somewhat distracted at the moment and breathed a little easier. "Thanks. Umm…here's your drink, Rosie."

"Thanks, Louis." Rosie smiled at him as he passed her the wine.

"Think I'm going to head back to the table now. You coming?" he asked.

"In a minute…" Rosie told Louis. She turned to Beau. "I ._cannot_ believe you! I mean _REALLY_, Beau?! Threatening Louis just because he asked me to the dance?" She jabbed a finger into his chest. "We're not dating, therefore I'm not your girl. Louis has the right to ask me out. I determine who I want to hang out with, not you!"

By this time Beau had regained focus and was fully aware of Rosie telling him off in public. Not liking this, he took command of the conversation. "Look, Rosie…you should be on my arm tonight as my date, not his. Wouldn't you rather be with a guy who can obviously defend himself…." He glanced at Louis with a smirk. "…than with a guy who needs a woman to do his fighting for him? Personally…."

"Save it, Beau. I don't want to hear another word from you." Rosie had had enough. She could care less about the fact that Beau was glaring at her now.

Motioning Louis to follow her, she turned and headed back to the table where she downed the glass of wine in a couple of gulps. This gesture would have normally raised a few eyebrows and earned a few glances, but since everyone knew what had just happened between Beau, Rosie, and Louis, not a word was said.

Dori was about to say something, when Rosie started in on Beau again. "I cannot believe he actually did that! Like I'm gonna dump a good friend and run after him? I don't think so!"

"Rosie…." Dori said her name to get her attention.

"Yeah?" came the response.

"Don't think about it," Dori told Rosie. "In fact I say no more wine for you right now. Come on, let's go and get on the dance floor. That'll take your mind off this. Louis, Bertrand, Andre, Monique, everyone up and on the dance floor now. We're going to show Rosie a new dance. It's our oldest folk dance here. Everyone in the village participates in it."

She sent Bertrand to tell the musicians to start playing the music, which they were happy to do. As soon as the familiar strains began, not only did their friends join in, but so did everyone else attending the dance. Everyone began to meet in the middle of the hall, their faces shining with pride and happiness. Old and young and singles and couples, all joined in and took a place on the dance floor.

As Dori waited for Bertrand to rejoin her, she guided Rosie to a spot, explaining how the dance worked. "It's fairly simple, Rosie. Everyone gathers in a circle with three people in one group. Once the dance starts, the middle person, usually the guy, escorts his two partners until one of the partners breaks off and heads into the middle of the circle. The single person joins the other singles to create another circle where they promenade while the couple on the outside circle dance for a few beats of the music. Then the inner circle persons join up with the outer circle and repeat the process until the dance is over."

Seeing Rosie's unsure look, Bertrand stepped in and assured her, "It's a really easy dance to pick up, and you'll get to dance with most of the villagers here. That's why it's Molyneaux's oldest dance. Everyone gets to take part in it. Hey….if I can do this dance, you should have no problem, Rosie!"

Hearing Bertrand's self deprecating humor calmed Rosie's nerves. It was true that Bertrand wasn't the greatest dancer, but it had been sweet the way he had come to her aid. She laughed. "Well then, let's do this!"

Michelle and Marie had taken their places on the dance floor and made sure that they were the ones who were partnered up with Beau. They glared at any other woman who dared approach Beau. Monique just shook her head at her sisters' antics and took her place by Andre.

Louis also took his place on the dance floor, partnered with Sophie and Corinne. As he did, he glanced over at Rosie and gazed at her, still not believing that this wasn't just a dream. _Gosh, she's so beautiful,_ he thought,_ I can't believe she's actually here with me; I'm the luckiest guy in the world. And she stood up for me…against Beau, of all people. She's really special. I wonder if she'd ever want to go out with me? _

As he thought that, Louis realized how crazy that sounded and chided himself,_ Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish? Beau'd kill you for sure. Better not chance it. Besides she probably just sees me as a friend._

Still he would get another chance to dance with her here. But he frowned as he realized that so would Beau. He glanced over at where he was stationed and cringed. The look on Beau's face did not bode well for anyone, especially Rosie. Louis hoped that Beau would have the good sense not to try anything with her, but he realized with a inward sigh that this was Beau. And Beau usually got his way.

Louis had a very good reason to be wary. Beau had a very annoyed look on his face. Despite all his efforts, he had notten got a chance to dance with Rosie, and it irritated him. He was determined to get her all alone and show her how he felt. He just needed to partner with her. However, his spirits rose as he realized that this dance would give him that very opportunity. A very confident smug smirk appeared on his face and he glanced over to where Rosie was. Quickly calculating, he realized that he would indeed be partners with her quite soon and make his move.

Having decided this, Beau grew impatient for the start of the dance. He watched as the last stragglers took their places. Finally, with everyone set, the dance began.

Once the dance started, Rosie realized that it really was a simple dance and picked up the steps. Once the first steps were over, she joined the inner circle and watched the faces of everyone. There was pride and elation on the townsfolk as they danced. That feeling was contagious and soon she felt the same way, as she made her way through the dance, partnering with Stephan, Louis, Bertrand, Andre, and others.

Rosie didn't think anything could ruin this joyousness….and then she found herself partnered with Beau. He was ecstatic at the turn of events and at first Rosie didn't give much thought to the situation. She was simply enjoying herself too much.

Beau bided his time. When Michele headed into the inner circle, he made his move. As soon as he had Rosie in his arms, he pulled her close to him and kissed her.

Rosie was caught off guard.. Before her mind could fully register what had happened, she found herself in the moment and returned the kiss. For all his faults, Beau was an incredible kisser. And Rosie hadn't been kissed like that in a long time.

_Mmmmm_….Rosie thought as she closed her eyes and started to melt against him, _this feels so good_….

Then her brain caught up with reality. Her eyes flew open and she pulled back away from Beau. _What the hell? He had no right to do that!_ she thought..

The fact that she had enjoyed it made her even angrier, not just at Beau, but at at herself. It was humiliating. She had practically swooned with everyone watching!

She drew back her hand and slapped Beau across the face as hard as she could, the connecting slap satisfying her a little. "Ever heard of permission or personal space, you jerk? Next you want to kiss a woman, ask her first!"

Beau, caught off guard, recoiled a bit. Then, as he rubbed his throbbing cheek, he glared at Rosie. How dare she do that? Who did she think she was, slapping and then yelling at him especially in front of this many people? It hadn't escaped his attention that although the music was still going, everyone's attention was focused on them now. Not liking this, Beau made a grab for Rosie to pull her off to the side away from everyone.

Rosie saw this and jerked back, mistaking his actions. "Keep your hands off of me, Beau!"

"Look…." Beau hissed as he looked into her eyes, expecting her to be intimidated. Instead, she looked furious. If looks could kill, he'd be dead on the floor right now. However, he found that this strangely made her more desirable. "In case you haven't noticed, a large amount of people are looking at us right now. "

This stopped Rosie in her tracks and brought her back in the moment. As she gazed around the room, it was as Beau had said. Rosie became mortified at this thought. She had forgotten for a moment that they were in public. All she wanted to do was fade into the background.

A look of vulnerability appeared on her face, which made Beau want to rescue her. He began more gently, "Look, all I want is…"

"Just do me a favor and leave me alone, Beau," Rosie quietly snapped and turned away from him.

Before Beau could say or do anything, Monique and Dori took control of the situation and led Rosie to a nearby table. As they did, both of them gave Beau a reproachful glare, and Dori warned Bertrand to keep Beau away from Rosie. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll keep his distance."

In the meantime, the music continued and then switched to another tune. With the situation apparently in hand, most of the attendees' attention turned back to the dance and the party continued on and as conversations and dances were resumed.

Louis was not one of these people. He stood motionless, not knowing what to do. One moment, he was enjoying himself, having a good time with Rosie, and the next…his world was turned upside down. If he was being truthful with himself, he was feeling a little betrayed. He had been nearby when Beau had kissed Rosie and seen everything that followed. Leave it to Beau to ruin a perfectly good moment for him.

He glanced over to where Dori and Monique were with Rosie. At least she was away from Beau, However, what stung for Louis was the realization that despite Rosie's protestations, it was clear that she had enjoyed the kiss, if only for a moment. He stood there for a moment watching them, then made his way over to them.

As he did, he heard, "Are you sure you want to leave now, Rosie? There's still a lot of evening left."

"Yes…I'm sure," Rosie replied, as she looked at Dori. "I'm not really in the party mood any more."

"Okay…Let me tell Bertrand and then I'll take you home," her friend offered. Rosie gave her a small grateful smile.

Hearing this, Louis was spurred to action. Perhaps he had misjudged Rosie. He approached the three. "Dori, if you want, I can certainly take Rosie home. I need to leave early anyway."

Surprised, Dori glanced up at Louis' voice. "That's actually better, since you two came together tonight." As Rosie stood up to leave, so did the other two. One by one, they hugged. "If you need to talk, Rosie, just give me a call, okay? Night. See you later."

"Night, Dori…Monique…Say good night for me to everyone else, all right? Thanks," Collecting her things, Rosie hugged her friends and then turned to Louis with a smile. "I'm ready, Louis. Let's go."

With that, the two of them headed out towards the parking lot.


End file.
